Thomas Partey has claimed that Arsenal "belong" in the Champions League, with the club in pole position to secure their first top four finish since the 2015/16 season. The Gunners beat Leicester City 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to move a point clear of fifth placed Manchester United, they also have three games in hand over Ralf Rangnick's side.
Arsenal have won their last five Premier League matches making them the form team in the hunt for fourth spot, and with no European or cup commitments they can focus solely on maintaining their position in the table.
After finishing eighth last season the club missed out on European football for the first time in 25 years, however Partey, who scored his second goal of the campaign during the win over the Foxes, believes that the Gunners should always be competing with the continent's elite clubs.
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“We’re a very big club, it’s one of the biggest in the Premier League," Partey told Sky Sports. "And [the Champions League] is where they belong.
"We have to be competing in every competition, that’s the objective of the club. We have to go game by game, we have to approach every game as a final and that’s what we have to be focussed on.”
Mikel Arteta’s side can move four points clear of Man United with victory over title-chasing Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. A win would also leave the Gunners just five points behind third-placed Chelsea, with a game in hand.
