Arsene Wenger insists he would want to win the Europa League (Photo: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insists the Gunners would target winning the Europa League should his side fail to progress to the Champions League knockout stages.

The Gunners must win both of their two remaining group stage matches to stand any chance of making the last 16 and face Dinamo Zagreb tonight at the Emirates.

A third-place finish would see the Gunners enter the Europa League for the first time since 2000 when they lost out on penalties to Turkish giants Galatasaray in the UEFA Cup final.

And, though many fans believe a Thursday-Sunday schedule would scupper the side’s chances of winning the Premier League, Wenger insists he would target winning the competition if the Gunners finish third.


The Gunners lost 5-1 to Bayern Munich in their last fixture (Picture:Getty Images)

‘We would take the competition seriously but we are not out [of the Champions League] yet,’ said Wenger.



‘I believe that this problem is exaggerated a little bit in England because we play Wednesday and Saturday, so it is the same as Thursday and Sunday. I can’t see the difference.

‘There are plenty of examples in Portugal and Spain where teams have taken it seriously and won the Championship. Benfica are the example, Sevilla have done well.’

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