Consistency the key for Arsenal

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits his side will need to show “exceptional consistency” to finish in the top four this season.

The Gunners are three points behind Chelsea in the race for Champions League qualification, with Newcastle also currently standing between them and a place at European football’s top table.

But after watching his side demolish Blackburn 7-1 on Saturday, Wenger remains optimistic they can earn a spot in the top four.

“We had a good week last week. We had a good result against Aston Villa and a good performance against Bolton,” Wenger told the club’s official website.

“We had the same number of chances (against Bolton) that we had against Blackburn but we scored on Saturday.”

“We still have real hope that we can finish the season the strongest. We have a good spirit and desire within the group – and we have quality.”

“We know that with the position we are in we need an exceptional consistency, so that is the challenge we have in front of us at Sunderland (on Saturday).”

The Gunners are set to begin a series of key fixtures in their hunt to retain their top-four status, with an away trip to Martin O’Neill’s in-form Sunderland to be followed against the Premier League’s third, sixth and fifth-placed sides in Tottenham, Liverpool and Newcastle.

That run of consecutive tests will be punctuated by the two legs of Arsenal’s Champions League first knockout round match against AC Milan.