The Gunners are sixth in the Premier League, a huge 13 points off fourth-placed arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Only the top four sides in the Premier League qualify for the Champions League
Arsene Wenger
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Arsene Wenger says Arsenal have "taken the time to grieve" after their League Cup pummelling by Manchester City and are ready to face the pressure of a Europa League quarter-final against CSKA Moscow.
The Gunners are sixth in the Premier League, a huge 13 points off fourth-placed arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Only the top four sides in the Premier League qualify for the Champions League, which means Arsenal's only realistic route back into European club football's elite competition is by winning the second-string Europa League.
It is also the only trophy they can lift this season. Thursday sees the north London giants host CSKA in the first leg of their last-eight clash. Veteran Arsenal manager Wenger is well aware of what is at stake. "There is some extra pressure on us to do extremely well in this competition," he said.
"That's part of being where we are. "We have to see it as an opportunity." Arsenal have won their past four games since the disappointment of two 3-0 defeats by English champions-elect Manchester City in the League Cup final and the league were followed by a shock 2-1 league loss to Brighton. "We were very disappointed with our results against City," said Wenger. "It takes time to grieve and to recover. But because the mentality in the team is very good, strong and healthy we're recovered. "I think always you judge a team by the way they come out of a crisis.
On that front I believe that is very positive on our side." Wenger has been in charge of Arsenal since 1996 but has yet to win any European silverware with the club, although they were beaten on penalties in the 2000 UEFA Cup final, the forerunner of the Europa League, and lost to Barcelona in the 2006 Champions League final.
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