Wenger tells Arsenal to embrace Europa League pressure

LONDON COLNEY, England: Arsene Wenger says Arsenal have “taken the time to grieve” after their League Cup pummelling by Manchester City and are ready to face the pressure of a Europa League quarter-final against CSKA Moscow.The Gunners are sixth in the Premier League, a huge 13 points off fourth-placed arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur.Only the top four sides in the Premier League qualify for the Champions League, which means Arsenal’s only realistic route back into European club football’s elite competition is by winning the second-string Europa League. It is also the only trophy they can lift this season.Thursday sees the north London giants host CSKA in the first leg of their last-eight clash. Veteran Arsenal manager Wenger, speaking to reporters at the club’s London Colney training ground, is well aware of what is at stake.“There is some extra pressure on us to do extremely well in this competition,” he said. “That’s part of being where we are. I must say we have to see it in a way that it’s an opportunity we want to take.”“I think always you judge a team by the way they come out of a crisis. On that front I believe that is very positive on our side.”Wenger has a fully fit squad, with Alexandre Lacazette available following knee surgery. Lacazette came off the bench to score in last weekend’s win over Stoke.

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