FOURTH IS LEAST WE CAN DO - WENGER
Arsene Wenger fully expects Arsenal to meet their "minimum requirement" of finishing fourth in the Premiership by holding off the challenge of Champions League pretenders Bolton.
The Gunners have seen their campaign unravel over the last two months following defeat in the Carling Cup final and an early exit from both the FA Cup and Europe.
Although they still have a match in hand, the lead over fifth place is now just two points.
Wenger, however, is not considering anything other than qualification for the elite club competition once again.
"It is the minimum target we want to reach at the start of every season, and it will be like that every year," said the Arsenal manager ahead of Saturday's visit of Bolton.
"It is the minimum target because you want to win every trophy you play for.
"You want to be in the Champions League again and to win it next year you have to be in.
"We want to be there and nobody else so I do not worry about what will happen if they get in.
"In England, you have the potential of 10 massive clubs and they will not always be asleep.
"To smash in and compete in the top four, you will now have Aston Villa, Newcastle, Tottenham. They are all big clubs with the same potential as Arsenal.
"Bolton? I do not know whether they have the same potential fans as, say, Newcastle.
"If Newcastle have a good team, they would get 60,000 people every week."
While the UEFA Cup would again be an achievement in itself for Bolton - who were not so long ago playing at Burnden Park and scraping around the lower leagues - it would be a massive blow were the Gunners to fail to reach the Champions League for the first time in a decade.
Their new 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium is certainly a venue befitting top-flight European football and all the extra income that brings.
Wenger, though, is focused on the here and now, rather than what may or may not happen down the line.
He added: "You can always adapt the revenue, the most important thing is that you have a good team and that you achieve what you want to achieve.
"We have never gone bust, we always adjust to what we face.
"At the moment I focus on tomorrow's game and the consequence of if, if, if - that does not work.
"You focus on doing well tomorrow. Why worry about after tomorrow?"
The Trotters have proved stubborn opponents for Arsenal in recent seasons.
Wenger's men were beaten 3-1 at the Reebok in November but won their FA Cup replay at the same venue by the same score in February.
"It is a big game against a direct rival," Wenger added.
"They have good players, good strikers and a direct style which they will use.
"We play at home, we know we can beat them and just focus on playing well." More
The Gunners have seen their campaign unravel over the last two months following defeat in the Carling Cup final and an early exit from both the FA Cup and Europe.
Although they still have a match in hand, the lead over fifth place is now just two points.
Wenger, however, is not considering anything other than qualification for the elite club competition once again.
"It is the minimum target we want to reach at the start of every season, and it will be like that every year," said the Arsenal manager ahead of Saturday's visit of Bolton.
"It is the minimum target because you want to win every trophy you play for.
"You want to be in the Champions League again and to win it next year you have to be in.
"We want to be there and nobody else so I do not worry about what will happen if they get in.
"In England, you have the potential of 10 massive clubs and they will not always be asleep.
"To smash in and compete in the top four, you will now have Aston Villa, Newcastle, Tottenham. They are all big clubs with the same potential as Arsenal.
"Bolton? I do not know whether they have the same potential fans as, say, Newcastle.
"If Newcastle have a good team, they would get 60,000 people every week."
While the UEFA Cup would again be an achievement in itself for Bolton - who were not so long ago playing at Burnden Park and scraping around the lower leagues - it would be a massive blow were the Gunners to fail to reach the Champions League for the first time in a decade.
Their new 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium is certainly a venue befitting top-flight European football and all the extra income that brings.
Wenger, though, is focused on the here and now, rather than what may or may not happen down the line.
He added: "You can always adapt the revenue, the most important thing is that you have a good team and that you achieve what you want to achieve.
"We have never gone bust, we always adjust to what we face.
"At the moment I focus on tomorrow's game and the consequence of if, if, if - that does not work.
"You focus on doing well tomorrow. Why worry about after tomorrow?"
The Trotters have proved stubborn opponents for Arsenal in recent seasons.
Wenger's men were beaten 3-1 at the Reebok in November but won their FA Cup replay at the same venue by the same score in February.
"It is a big game against a direct rival," Wenger added.
"They have good players, good strikers and a direct style which they will use.
"We play at home, we know we can beat them and just focus on playing well." More
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