Walcott urges Arsenal to seal top-three finish

Theo Walcott has urged Arsenal to seal their place in next season’s Champions League group stage by keeping Sunderland mired in the relegation dog-fight today.

Arsene Wenger’s side will be certain of securing a top-three finish in the Premier League if they defeat the Black Cats at the Emirates Stadium.

Even a draw is likely to be enough to guarantee they finish above fourth-placed Manchester United, who remain two points behind the Gunners with a significantly inferior goal difference and only one game remaining.

The reward for finishing in the top three is automatic entry into the group stages of the Champions League, which avoids the inconvenience of having to take part in a two-legged play-off tie to qualify for the competition early next season.

Wenger admits he has found that experience a major headache in the past, but Arsenal winger Walcott, who set up his side’s equaliser in their 1-1 draw against United at Old Trafford on Sunday, is confident his manager won’t have any need to reach for the pain-killers.

“We’ve got a game in hand over United now and it was a crucial point (on Sunday), knowing that. We just need one more point because of goal difference,” Walcott said.
Walcott made a surprisingly honest admission when he revealed that some of Arsenal players lacked the belief they were capable of keeping pace with champions Chelsea this season.

But the England international, who is competing to return to the starting line-up in time for the FA Cup final against Aston Villa after an injury-ravaged campaign, believes Wenger has assembled a squad strong enough to make a serious push for the title next term.

“Third place is a step forward from where we finished last year. But we need to be pushing on now and trying to challenge for the title,” Walcott said.