Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker has revealed that the Gunners are focused on direct qualification for the Champions League and ending the season with a triumphant FA Cup campaign.

Arsene Wenger’s men are currently sitting third in the Premier League standings and with a five-point gap between themselves and fourth placed Manchester United, the north Londoners are strong favourites to finish among the top three and thereby seal a direct qualifying spot for next season’s Champions League.




The Gunners struggled in this season’s Champions League playoff clash against Besiktas before narrowly defeating the Turkish Super Lig outfit 1-0.

And Mertesacker has outlined his team’s target of directly qualifying for the Champions League.
 


“We want to qualify directly for the Champions League”, he told his club’s site.

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“The championship has gone but it would be an improvement for us from last season where we had those two qualifying matches [against Besiktas], really tight ones, to secure the Champions League.”

Arsenal have also made it to their second consecutive FA Cup final, where they are scheduled to play Aston Villa on 30th May and the 2014 World Cup winner has added that defending the domestic cup is another target that they want to accomplish before the season’s end.

“That is the first target and then obviously the FA Cup – to defend our title would be absolutely amazing.

“That is the focus at the minute and it looks like we are quite sharp. It demands a lot but how we keep going is really pleasing.”

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