Arsenal face a potentially pivotal week in their race for a top-four finish, and former players Thierry Henry and William Gallas have offered the same warning to Mikel Arteta's team.
The Gunners play host to Brentford on Saturday as they seek revenge for their opening day defeat, with another home game against Wolverhampton Wanderers following on Thursday night.
The top-four picture is a complicated one, with Arsenal down in sixth but holding three games in hand on West Ham United and Manchester United ahead of them.
However, with no more cup responsibilities getting in the way, and with results so far putting Arteta's team in prime position for Champions League qualification, both Henry and Gallas have warned the manager anything less than a top four finish this term would be a failure.
Will Arsenal have failed if they don't finish fourth? Have your say in the comments section
"Arsenal had to go and win at Wolves," former Arsenal and France striker Henry said last week.
"That was a massive win, so there are still a lot of games to go. For me, if they don't do it, as I said at the start of the season, then it will be a failure."
Arsenal have not played since their victory at Molineux more than a week ago, with last week's scheduled game against Chelsea postponed due to the Blues' involvement in the Club World Cup.
Henry's view was shared by former Arsenal captain Gallas, who finished no lower than fourth in his four seasons at the club.
"If they don’t finish top four, it’s a failure. It’s that simple,’ Gallas told Metro on behalf of bet365.
"When you play and manage a big club like Arsenal, your target is to finish top four. I know it’s not easy with so many clubs like City, Chelsea, United, Liverpool, Tottenham but that doesn’t matter – you have to finish in the top four at a minimum.
"You’ve got a strong squad with Arsenal, if Arteta doesn’t make top four, he’s failed."
Arsenal need 22 points from 16 games to match their 61-point tally from last season, while maintaining their current points-per-game average would be enough to see them rack up the same number of points as last season's fourth-place finishers Chelsea.
While the Gunners have only spent four gameweeks in the top four this season, the postponement of games in December, January and February has been a factor.
Five points from games in hand against Wolves, Tottenham and Chelsea would be enough to take Arteta's side back into the Champions League spots, and four might be enough, though Bruno Lage's and Antonio Conte's teams also harbour top-four hopes.
There is a bit more optimism from another former Gunner, though, with Ian Wright backing Arteta and his players to get the job done.
"I think we are going to do it," Wright told the Ringer FC podcast.
"They need four points from their games in hand. Can Arsenal recognise that this is it now? This is the season."
