EPL: Arsene Wenger fears Arsenal's top four chances are in peril

Arsene Wenger PicAFPArsene Wenger conceded Arsenals hopes of ending their Champions League exile are in severe danger after Harry Kane condemned them to a damaging 10 defeat against bitter rivals Tottenham Kanes second half header at Wembley on Saturday left Wengers sixth placed side languishing six points adrift of the Premier Leagues top four Worryingly for Wenger that gap could grow even bigger on Sunday when fourth placed Liverpool play their game in hand at Southampton Failing to qualify for next seasons Champions League via a top four finish would be another hammer blow for beleaguered Arsenal boss Wenger whose team had to settle for a berth in the far less attractive Europa League this term Wenger acknowledged that depressing fate is staring Arsenal in the face again following Kanes latest act of vengeance against the club that rejected him as a youngsterIts a game we couldnt afford to lose it makes it much more difficult Wenger said We have to fight there was more at stake than just the derby thats why its so disappointing Its very disappointing because the priority is to be in the Champions League via the top four Im not a big fan of the Europa League winner getting into the Champions League Its not right but if it is an opportunity we have to take it It was a frustrating afternoon for Wenger whose side were outplayed for long periods as new signings PierreEmerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan failed to shine in their first taste of the north London derby Arsenals wretched away record against teams in the top five they havent won their last 16 of those fixtures left Wenger cursing a lack of cutting edge and a defence that wilted when Kane rose to head home from Christian Eriksens crossWenger woesWe missed chances on the counter attack that are not acceptable at this level Then at the start of the second half we should have lost the game by more he said At the top level you have to be mentally strong enough to take the chances We can only look at ourselves at the goal but I dont think we lack hunger in defence We were caught by a super striker he is one of the best in the world he scores against everyone The away record is very poor we dont score enough goals away from home In contrast to Wengers woes Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino was searching for fresh ways to praise Kane The England stars 32nd club goal of the season means he has now scored seven times in seven leagues games against Arsenal Not for the first time Pochettino made it clear Kane deserves to be ranked among the worlds best strikersOf course Harry is one of the best in the world I have repeated that for the last few years he said Sometimes you believe that he is my player and I try to boost him Im telling you and I tell again in my experience in football he is one of the best He deserves to be one of the best Its so good to have him in our side Harry every game he has the same energy In the first north London derby at Wembley for 25 years Tottenham extended their recent mastery over Arsenal who have won only once in the last eight league meetings with their hated neighbours Tottenham are unbeaten in their last nine league matches and remain in a good position to qualify for the Champions League Damaging Arsenals hopes was an added bonus and Pochettino added If you analyse the game we created many chances My players were fantastic they deserve the full credit now keep going We are doing a fantastic job Its important for the belief of the team and confidenceCatch up on all the latest sports news and updates hereDownload the new midday Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the goThe contentreporting displayed on our website wwwmiddaycom is provided ASIS AS AVAILABLE by us from third party agencies sources without any verification from our side It may contain error bugs and other limitations The readers can rely on the content at their own will Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability data text images video messages or any other material whatsoever or for any claimslossaction that the reader may suffer as a result of relying on the content on our site Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever