Laurent Koscielny: Arsenal must win every game to reach top four
Sunday 30 April 2017 17:15, UK
Laurent Koscielny says Arsenal must win their remaining six games this season to make the top four of the Premier League.
Arsenal are five points behind fourth-place Man City, with a game in hand, and six behind third-place Liverpool, but with two games in hand.
They face north London rivals Tottenham on Super Sunday, live on Sky Sports, and French defender Koscielny believes both sides have similar players in terms of quality.
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He told Sky Sports: "We must focus on our game, we know we have five or six games until the end, and we need to win all [of them] if we want to finish in the top four. We are focused, game after game. The next is Tottenham, the derby, and we need to have confidence. Each great result gives us more confident, and it's great to arrive here confident.
"I think they have a very good squad, the coach does a very good job with the team. They are a young team, but now with two years playing together I think they've improved in the Premier League. They show they are a big team and can finish in the top four.
"I think they have different players to us. For us we have a system, we like to have possession and keep the ball. They have some players who can run a lot and do it different. I think the quality of the teams are the same.
"For a long time, more than 20 years, they finish all the time behind us. I think we have this in our head, but for us the most important is to be focused on the game, to win, and to finish in the top four for the end of the season.
"It's not about them, it's about ourselves, it doesn't matter what the other team do, it's about our job."
Arsenal moved to a 3-4-3 system a fortnight ago, and have won their last three games since adopting the formation as they look to break into the Champions League spots.
Koscielny recognises the benefits of the system, even if it is not what some players are used to.
"It was, for a lot of players, the first time against Middlesbrough. We worked on the system all week, and I think it's different for a lot of players, for me too.
"We have some players who are more comfortable with this system. We could see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was very good in this position.
"Gabriel and Rob Holding did well in their job, you have more solidarity at the back, because when you lose the ball you can be five at the top, but when you have the ball we can project ourselves quicker.
"So it's different, but it's nice to have a different system. In the last three games it's better because we won all three games."
Arsenal players and manager Arsene Wenger have come under strong criticism for their performances this season, having lost seven games out of 12 in the spring.
Koscielny, who joined the club from Lorient in 2010, says the period was his most difficult as an Arsenal player.
"Yes [it was the toughest period]. When you don't have the good results, it's always a bad atmosphere in the dressing room, in the club, because nobody is happy.
"It's normal, we are professional, and we love this club. We just want to be happy, and to have all the people who work or love this club to have a smile.
"It was difficult to go home, to say we lost again, again, again. It was difficult, and we need to come back to the simple things, working hard."
