Wenger focused on top four finish in Premier League
Arsenal have one foot in the Europa League last 16 but Arsene Wenger will not ease up on the pursuit of a Premier League top-four spot.
Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal's preferred route into the Champions League remains a top-four Premier League finish.
Arsenal host Ostersunds on Thursday, with a 3-0 first-leg lead over their Swedish opponents and a spot in the last 16 of the Europa League virtually assured.
The picture is not so rosy in the Premier League, with the 'Gunners' currently sixth – eight points behind Chelsea in fourth with 11 matches remaining.
Nevertheless, Wenger told a pre-match news conference he is not ready to prioritise the Gunners' European campaign just yet.
"It is one of the priorities that we have but there is a long way to go," he said of a competition that still boasts the likes of Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan as potential future opponents.
"We will focus to do well but ideally we want to go back to the Champions league through the Premier League. We have to focus on the Premier League"
21 February 2018
Turning his attention to that Europa League second leg, the Frenchman refused to be complacent.
"A big part is done but to be professional is to finish the job," Wenger said. "We have enough maturity and love for the game we want to play. That's why I think it is important to win the game tomorrow. If we go out and think we will have stroll we could have a bad surprise."
Wenger confirmed Danny Welbeck will get another chance to start in his favoured centre-forward role, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cup-tied and Alexandre Lacazette on the mend following knee surgery, whilst also offering updates on Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey.
"He's doing well and I think he will be ahead of his planned recovery," Wenger said regarding Lacazette's progress. "It should be four weeks, maybe three-and-a-half weeks, but overall he's doing well."