Bould: Gunners are up four it
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Bould Arsenal have edge in Champions League race
STEVE BOULD reckons Arsenal have an edge in the race for Champions League football as their main rivals are still battling it out in Europe.
The Gunners are still outside the top four and qualification for the Continents top club competition in fifth place.
Ahead of them in third and fourth spot respectively are Tottenham and Chelsea but both are scrapping it out for this seasons Europa League crown.
Spurs were counting the cost of their quarter-final first-leg clash with Basel on Thursday when star player Gareth Bale was carried off with an ankle injury near the end of the 2-2 draw.
And Chelsea face a gruelling trip to Moscow to face Rubin Kazan next week after winning their home tie 3-1, as well as the small matter of an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City to squeeze in.
Arsenal, meanwhile, had their feet up in midweek after getting dumped out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich last month.
And they will reap the benefits if they beat West Brom at The Hawthorns today as it will mean going back into the top four for at least a day.
That will pile the pressure on their London rivals who will have the end-of-season scrap on their minds when they make European trips next week.
Gunners assistant boss Bould said: Its extremely tough, the travel.
I think sometimes if a negative result comes along within that time span, it can affect your season.
Its going to be tough. Players like to play. I think we have got to concentrate on us, concentrate on what we do and concentrate on winning games.
Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger was under the weather this week but is expected to be in the dugout this afternoon, when his side continue their bid for a 16th consecutive season in the Champions League.
They have a decent-looking run-in for their last eight matches and that includes a game in hand on bitter rivals Spurs.
Bould added: All along we have known its how we do over the next few months that counts.
We are capable and we have got a good run going. We just need to keep winning games.
Like I say, if we win 3-2 every week, nobody is concerned.
We just need to win games and put pressure on and hope that one of the teams above us wilts anyway.
We are aiming for as high as we can get.
But Bould is wary of West Brom especially their on-loan target man Romelu Lukaku.
Defensive guru Bould has warned his players there are threats throughout Steve Clarkes side and not just from the Belgium forward, who has hit 13 league goals this term.
Bould said: Hes a good player and looks like hes going to get better further down the line.
But West Brom are a good all-round team and itll be a really tough game.
I think Steve Clarke has done a magnificent job there. Theyve been more or less up there in the table for the whole season.
Theyve had a little dip but we know its going to be difficult.
Theyve got a good back four, a good goalkeeper and they dont let in an awful amount of goals. Weve got a really hard game on our hands.
Were under no illusions. We know its going to be a tough game but were more than capable.
Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere miss out again through injury but have a chance of returning next week against Norwich.
On top of that, midfielder Abou Diaby has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
The 26-year-old had surgery on a tear to his anterior cruciate ligament, the latest in a long list of injury problems the France international has had to deal with.
And Bould is hoping this prolonged lay-off could be the last.
He added: As we all know, hes had seven years of injuries and it takes huge character to come back.
Maybe its a chance for him to correct everything that was going wrong. Thats the positive that he can go forward with.
He might use the seven or eight months to get rid of all those injuries that he was struggling with. Were all hoping and praying that he comes back a better player.
Arsenal would move back into the top four for at least 24 hours if they can beat the Baggies, with London rivals Chelsea not playing until Sunday afternoon.
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Bould Arsenal have edge in Champions League race
STEVE BOULD reckons Arsenal have an edge in the race for Champions League football as their main rivals are still battling it out in Europe.
The Gunners are still outside the top four and qualification for the Continents top club competition in fifth place.
Ahead of them in third and fourth spot respectively are Tottenham and Chelsea but both are scrapping it out for this seasons Europa League crown.
Spurs were counting the cost of their quarter-final first-leg clash with Basel on Thursday when star player Gareth Bale was carried off with an ankle injury near the end of the 2-2 draw.
And Chelsea face a gruelling trip to Moscow to face Rubin Kazan next week after winning their home tie 3-1, as well as the small matter of an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City to squeeze in.
Arsenal, meanwhile, had their feet up in midweek after getting dumped out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich last month.
And they will reap the benefits if they beat West Brom at The Hawthorns today as it will mean going back into the top four for at least a day.
That will pile the pressure on their London rivals who will have the end-of-season scrap on their minds when they make European trips next week.
Gunners assistant boss Bould said: Its extremely tough, the travel.
I think sometimes if a negative result comes along within that time span, it can affect your season.
Its going to be tough. Players like to play. I think we have got to concentrate on us, concentrate on what we do and concentrate on winning games.
Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger was under the weather this week but is expected to be in the dugout this afternoon, when his side continue their bid for a 16th consecutive season in the Champions League.
They have a decent-looking run-in for their last eight matches and that includes a game in hand on bitter rivals Spurs.
Bould added: All along we have known its how we do over the next few months that counts.
We are capable and we have got a good run going. We just need to keep winning games.
Like I say, if we win 3-2 every week, nobody is concerned.
We just need to win games and put pressure on and hope that one of the teams above us wilts anyway.
We are aiming for as high as we can get.
But Bould is wary of West Brom especially their on-loan target man Romelu Lukaku.
Defensive guru Bould has warned his players there are threats throughout Steve Clarkes side and not just from the Belgium forward, who has hit 13 league goals this term.
Bould said: Hes a good player and looks like hes going to get better further down the line.
But West Brom are a good all-round team and itll be a really tough game.
I think Steve Clarke has done a magnificent job there. Theyve been more or less up there in the table for the whole season.
Theyve had a little dip but we know its going to be difficult.
Theyve got a good back four, a good goalkeeper and they dont let in an awful amount of goals. Weve got a really hard game on our hands.
Were under no illusions. We know its going to be a tough game but were more than capable.
Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere miss out again through injury but have a chance of returning next week against Norwich.
On top of that, midfielder Abou Diaby has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
The 26-year-old had surgery on a tear to his anterior cruciate ligament, the latest in a long list of injury problems the France international has had to deal with.
And Bould is hoping this prolonged lay-off could be the last.
He added: As we all know, hes had seven years of injuries and it takes huge character to come back.
Maybe its a chance for him to correct everything that was going wrong. Thats the positive that he can go forward with.
He might use the seven or eight months to get rid of all those injuries that he was struggling with. Were all hoping and praying that he comes back a better player.
Arsenal would move back into the top four for at least 24 hours if they can beat the Baggies, with London rivals Chelsea not playing until Sunday afternoon.
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