Europa League

Jack Wilshere: 'Europa League would be successful season for Arsenal'

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 03 October 2021

Former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere believes that Europa League qualification would constitute a successful season for the club.

Former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has claimed that qualifying for the Europa League would represent a successful season for the Gunners.

Mikel Arteta's side opened the new Premier League campaign with three straight defeats before marching to successive wins over Burnley, Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur, but they were held to a 0-0 draw by Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

Arsenal have moved up to ninth in the Premier League table for now, though, and Wilshere does not think that the Gunners need a top-four finish to look back on the season fondly.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Wilshere said: "After certain results, the Tottenham result it has certainly helped the club, it's helped the fanbase get behind what they're trying to do.

"I think you really saw a Mikel Arteta team at their best in that game on the front foot, it's easy to be motivated in a North London Derby but to handle the pressure the way they did is difficult.

"The fans will feel better after that performance and win but we still want results - we want to get into the top half, last season we finished eighth which probably wasn't good enough, although it's a young team that needs developing, we need to do better than that. Can we get into the Europa League?

"That will be the target this season and then push on from there. I think realistically with the young team and the changes and the new players that have come in I think getting back in the Europa League would be a successful season."

Arsenal's first game back after the international break sees them take on Crystal Palace, and Aaron Ramsdale has also admitted that the club's performance at Brighton was not good enough.