Sokratis Issues Top-Four Win Target

Sokratis Papastathopoulos claims Arsenal need four wins from their remaining six matches to secure a top-four Premier League finish.

The Greece international was left disappointed as the Gunners missed a chance to move into third spot in the table as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Everton on Sunday.

Unai Emery’s side still have a top-four finish in their own hands and Sokratis believes another four wins should be enough to get them over the line to Champions League qualification.

The 30-year-old, who will miss the next two games after a 10th booking of the season at Goodison Park left him facing a suspension, said: “Of course (it is frustrating). I like to play every game, to be there to help the team but it is not in my hands. “I hope that Laurent Koscielny (injured for the trip to Goodison Park) is coming back.

“We need to win at least another four games and then we will see if we are in the top four.” Meanwhile, Sokratis insists Arsenal do not have a mental issue with their away form but accepts they have to be more competitive if they want to end their poor run.

The defeat at Everton saw the side concede in a 15th consecutive top-flight away game for the first time since February 1985.

They have won just once on the road in the league, at relegated Huddersfield, since late November but Sokratis denied it was becoming something of a mental hurdle. “I don’t think so because if you see big teams like United and Chelsea they also lost a lot of points,” he said. “It is very difficult.

We are in the Premier League and the other teams are strong. “I don’t have a reason. Other teams are the same, some days good, some days bad.

We have to improve and look towards the next game. “But I think we didn’t have the same fight (as Everton) so we didn’t win a lot of battles and we conceded a goal which was a little bit easy.”