London--Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes that the Premier League title is still beyond his players despite their emergence as the English top flight's form side ahead of the season run-in.
Saturday's 4-1 demolition of Liverpool took Arsenal another step closer to securing the season's minimum objective of qualification for the Champions League.
Leaders Chelsea remain seven points above them with a game in hand, but Arsenal, who have won 10 of their last 11 matches, will have a chance to trim that gap when they host Jose Mourinho's side later this month.
But for all the optimism engendered by his side's excellent form, Wenger believes they have too much work to do due to a sluggish start to the season.
"Mathematically we can do it," said the Frenchman. "But we need to be perfect and for Chelsea not to be perfect. Let's focus on what we can master, which is our performance.
"We missed important players at the start of the season and dropped points. We have quality to fight at the top. But when you have players coming back from the World Cup and players who are not available, it is not easy.
"At one stage we played six games and earned one win, which leaves you with a mountain to climb."
Arsenal tightened their grip on the top four while all but extinguishing Liverpool's hopes with a crushing win at the Emirates Stadium.
Three goals in eight first-half minutes wrapped up the victory as Hector Bellerin, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez all struck.
Liverpool responded via a Jordan Henderson penalty, but the damage was already done.
A bad day for a depleted Liverpool got even worse when Emre Can received two yellow cards, before Oliver Giroud struck again for Arsenal in stoppage time.
Giroud, who has scored seven times in his last six league games, was not quite as downbeat about his side's title credentials.
AFP
