Arsenal's Task Now Urgent

[Piola]

Arsenal travel to Newcastle today seeking to avoid a fourth straight Premiership defeat that would seriously undermine their bid to qualify for next season's Champions League by finishing in the top four for the 11th consecutive season.

West Ham United became the first away team to win at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday as their battle against relegation left Arsenal wondering how they'd lost after dominating the game.

But, in a pattern repeated many times this season, Arsene Wenger's side created countless chances that they were unable to put away. And they fell to a sucker-punch, Bobby Zamora netting in first-half stoppage time to give the Hammers a priceless win as goalkeeper Robert Green defied the Gunners time after time.

Arsenal still have a game in hand on the sides around them, but their hold on fourth-place is now in jeopardy with Bolton Wanderers - who visit the Emirates next weekend - just two points behind.

It mean Arsenal cannot afford any more slip-ups in their seven remaining games, starting at St James' Park today.

Wenger said ahead of the crucial clash with the Magpies: "Routine in football does not exist. It is just always the consequence of the quality of your performances.

"Of course we feel we will do it [finish in the top four to qualify for the Champions League again] and I am convinced we will."

But he added: "The situation becomes very urgent.

"Now we just think about regrouping, and not feel sorry too much and not be down too much because we have a big game again.

"It is very hard, but the team is going through a patch where if we deal well with that situation we grow old very quickly.

"That is why it is very important that we do not let ourselves down and be too negative - there were a lot of positives [from the West Ham game] and now let us show that again at Newcastle."

Arsenal started like a whirlwind against the Hammers and the game should have been beyond the visitors by the time Zamora scored.

Green defied Cesc Fabregas within the opening two minutes, then kept out scoring chances by Freddie Ljungberg and Tomas Rosicky.

Fabregas finally beat Green midway through the second half but saw his 18-yard effort come back off the underside of the bar.

Wenger admitted that Arsenal, missing long-term injury victims Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie, their two leading scorers - had lacked a cutting edge.

"We know it can happen - but the way we lost it is very difficult to accept," said the French manager.

"It shows that in football, you need everything. It is good to have a good game, it is a good basis - but at the end of the day as well you need to have all the qualities that make a strong team, that is all part of a quality team."

Brazilian midfielder Gilberto Silva was back after missing the 4-1 defeat at Anfield a week earlier through injury. But he also missed two good chances to score in the second half, heading wide from six yards and hitting a post with a low drive.

"This season has been quite frustrating for us," said World Cup winner Gilberto.

"We create so many chances, especially when we have played at home.

"Now we need to something more than we showed against West Ham to achieve our targets.

"We need to look critically at ourselves.

"If we create four or five chances and miss, we can say 'it is normal'. But we need to push ourselves and do a little bit more.

"A good point is that everyone wants the ball to change the situation."

He added: "We need to fight for ourselves and the club.

"We have our pride and we have to show we are still capable to achieve what we want.

"It is still in our hands. and it is up to us to win the games ahead of us."

[BocaChiefs]

They won't make it to the Champions League they'll just have to settle for UEFA Cup.

[Updachels]

0-0
Now only three points clear of Bolton, they may struggle.

Hopefull they are destined for the Uefa CUp.

[ozzie owl]

Looks like they will be in UEFA Champoins League by finishing fourth.

Bit of a joke calling it Champions League when teams as low as fourth get a gig.

Basically the ECL is a bastardised version of the G14 super league.

[Piola]

The fourth placed team in England, Italy or Spain will be more competitive than the champions of some of the lower countries. Matches like Barca vs Levski are gd examples of this.

[delfino_1936]

They won't make it to the Champions League they'll just have to settle for UEFA Cup.

u have got 2 be kidding me

ow can u say that....2 points clear of bolton...game in hand and bolton at home this wk

far out....Updachels who do u go for???? chelsea or reading??

[Gunnersboy]

Arsenal are defently gona make the champions league next season
they are in a better position then bolton

Gunners team are going to have a dynasty in 5 or so years as they have so many class young players denilson walcott djourou adebayor just to name a few in 5 years they will be more mature and arsenal will be unstoppable