Daily Star

Emery: We need to improve everything to be top four

- By PAUL BROWN

UNAI EMERY claims Arsenal need to improve in every department before they can consider themselves top four material.

The Gunners can extend their unbeaten run to 17 games if they avoid defeat at Bournemout­h tomorrow and are only three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham.

But Emery is demanding more from his Arsenal players as he plots a return to the Champions League.

He said: “Are we playing as well as the top four? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. We need more. If we want to be in the top four, we need to improve things. “The performanc­es at the moment are not bad.

“But Sunday is another test. A big test. They are behind us. “We need to win to be closer to the top four.

“What needs to improve? Everything. Tactically, don’t concede so many chances to the opposition, improve in scoring, find the possibilit­y with different players. “We need also to arrive with the ball in the opposition box with the balance for recovery when we lose the ball.

“This morning we were speaking and having a meeting to speak about that.”

Emery is particular­ly concerned with Arsenal’s defensive frailties. The Spaniard has toughened up the Gunners, making them much harder to beat.

But they have conceded more goals than all of the top four teams, including three times as many as Manchester City and Liverpool.

Emery said: “We need more, and we are working on that. The balance is because I like a lot also that my team scores a lot.

“We have the capacity to score with different players and this is very important for me. But in the balance, we also need to be better in defensive moments.

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