Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira has conceded the battle for a top four finish in the Premier League will be intense this season.
The Gunners slipped to sixth in the league table following their 3-1 defeat against Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday in the Premier League.
Unai Emery’s men were handed a huge blow in the race for Champions League qualification as both Chelsea and Manchester United returned to winning ways during their respective games.
In the wake of their disappointing defeat against the defending champions, Torreira conceded the race for a top four finish in the Premier League will go down to the wire this term.
The Uruguayan also admitted Arsenal were not focused on the results procured by either Manchester United or Chelsea ahead of the defeat on Sunday and stressed that there is still a lot to play in the second half of the season.
“No, we were just focused on our game because it’s a really important one for us”, Torreira told the club’s official website.
“We know there’s other teams around us fighting for fourth and it’s going to be an intense battle for the Champions League spots, but there’s a long way to go.
“We’ve got a great group, very united, and I just think we want to try to improve as much as possible.”
Arsenal will next face bottom-placed Huddersfield Town in the Premier League on Saturday, before their Europa League knockout stage meeting with BATE Borisov.
