Gunners must kill off lesser lights, says Unai

UNAI Emery says Arsenal cannot qualify for next season’s Champions League if they continue to drop points against the Premier League’s lesser clubs.

Gunners manager Emery saw his side’s 22-match unbeaten run in all competitions halted by a 3-2 defeat at struggling Southampton.

Yesterday’s setback leaves the London club three points behind fourth-place Chelsea in the race for European football.

Spaniard Emery fears similar slip-ups will mean they fail to keep pace with their rivals.

“Our demand is very big but also the level is very high level with the other teams,” said the Spaniard. “And if we won’t win like today, we cannot be in the top four.

“Other teams usually they are winning but we need to do our way and continue to build.“After 22 matches unbeaten we didn’t lose and we are only fifth position in the table and the reason is because other teams are very well.”

Henrikh Mkhitaryan twice levelled for Arsenal at St Mary’s to cancel out headers from Danny Ings (above), before sub Charlie Austin grabbed Saints’ late winner.

With Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Shkodran Mustafi suspended and Rob Holding injured, Emery was forced to field a makeshift defence.

Captain Laurent Koscielny made his first top-flight appearance since April, while midfielder Granit Xhaka was selected as a leftsided centre-back.

And Emery said he was satisfied with the performances of his defenders.

“I think they worked very well,” he said. “Today very good news for Koscielny and other players, like Xhaka, played well.”