After scraping through to the final of the FA Cup, Arsenal will look to sneak back into fourth place in the English Premier League when they host West Ham at the Emirates on Tuesday night.
Where to Watch Live:
The game is scheduled for a 7.45 pm BST (12.15 am IST, 2.45 pm ET) start with live coverage on Star Sports 4 and Star Sports HD2 in India. The match can also be watched online via live streaming in India HERE. The match can be watched live online in the Middle East and North Africa HERE, while South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa viewers can catch the action HERE. Watch the action in the US HERE, while UK viewers can watch to the match live HERE. Latin America viewers can live stream the action HERE. The game can be live streamed by Canada viewers HERE, while Australia viewers can do so HERE.
The Gunners currently sit in an uncomfortable fifth position, two points behind Everton, who have the destiny of the final Champions League place in their hands.
However, three points against West Ham will put the pressure back on Everton, with Wenger desperate to end Arsenal's recent poor run in the Premier League.
"We want to achieve it [a top-four finish] and that's simple," Wenger said. "We just want to not imagine the consequences of not doing it, what you want is just to focus on doing it.
"That's where I think we have the focus, the quality of the spirit, we have the desire and we are slowly getting our players back so the squad is not depleted any more.
"It's vital to me to do [qualify for the Champions League]. I want this club to play in the top level competition. For that you want to be in the Champions League.
"What will be an advantage is our desire to play in this competition because we love the Champions League and just to imagine how much we love it will help us to achieve it."
While Arsenal are winless in their last four Premier League games, West Ham find themselves in a comfortable position in the table, with safety pretty much secured. Sitting in 11th position on 37 points, Sam Allardyce will want his team to push for a top ten finish, and Wenger is aware of the quality that the Hammers possess.
"West Ham are in a comfortable position, that means they can play without fear, so we know that in these kind of games it's very important that we have a good focus and a good tempo in our game," the Frenchman said.
The last time the two teams played, Arsenal came from a goal down to pick up a 3-1 victory on Boxing Day, but the game will also be remembered for the injury to Aaron Ramsey, whose subsequent absence hit Arsenal pretty hard.
Theo Walcott, who scored two goals to spark his side's comeback, has also been sorely missed, and West Ham will be in prime position to take advantage of their opponent's weary players after Arsenal were forced into extra time and penalties by Wigan in the FA Cup semifinal on Saturday.
"Certainly with Arsenal's game load and some of the injuries they have, then yes they will be weaker than they possibly could be," Allardyce said. "They keep a Champions League place for all those years. They keep a squad of 25 international players and they're playing at the Emirates, so whatever difficulties they have it's still a hugely tough fixture for ourselves.
"Whatever team Arsene puts out, we still have to play at our best to get a result, particularly on their own patch. If we can seek an advantage by those problems that they have then it gives us a better chance of getting a result.
"It won't be any easier than it ever has been to get a result at the Emirates because the players that are actually playing won't fatigue until later in the game. It won't happen in the beginning of the game and we'll have to be on song from the start and fully focused on the job we have to do to try and get something."
Team news: Arsenal: Walcott, Abou Diaby, Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere are all definitely ruled out, while Wenger has big doubts over Aaron Ramsey, Laurent Koscielny, Tomas Rosicky, Serge Gnabry, Lukas Podolski, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Nacho Monreal. Mathieu Flamini serves the second of his two-match suspension.
West Ham: Joey O'Brien could return to the squad for the Hammers, but Marco Borriello remains on the sidelines. George McCartney, James Collins and Kevin Nolan are all doubtful for the game.
Expected lineups: Arsenal: Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Arteta, Kallstrom; Rosicky, Cazorla, Podolski; Giroud.
West Ham: Adrian; Demel, Tomkins, Reid, Armero; Noble, Taylor; Diame, Nolan, Downing; Carroll.
