Arsene Wenger has told his Arsenal players that they have to win all seven of their remaining Premier League matches if they are to finish in the top four this season.

Arsenal recorded their first win away from home in the league in over three months when they beat Middlesbrough 2-1 on Monday night, to cut the gap to fourth-placed Manchester City to seven points with a game in hand.

The north Londoners have a difficult run-in – with a tough trip to Tottenham Hotspur as well as home matches against Manchester United and Everton – but Wenger has insisted that his side cannot afford to drop any more points if they are to secure Champions League football for next season.

Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Brad Guzan – 6 out of 10 Dealt with most that Arsenal threw at him but should have done much better with Sanchez’s free-kick. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Antonio Barragán - 6 Solid if unspectacular night on the right side of defence. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Ben Gibson – 7 Marshalled Giroud well and handled the Frenchman’s physicality without too much trouble. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Daniel Ayala -7 Capable in defence but should’ve done better with second-half header. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings George Friend - 6 Exposed by Oxlade-Chamberlain at times but solid enough in relief of the injured Fabio. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Adam Clayton – 5 Typically workmanlike in defence but a poor challenge cost Boro dearly from the resulting Sanchez free-kick. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Marten de Roon – 6 Failed to really assert himself on the game. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Grant Leadbitter – 6 Ugly first-half tackle on Ozil could’ve earned him more than just a yellow but showed well in attack. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Stewart Downing - 7 Rolled back the years with an inch-perfect ball for Negredo’s goal. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Alvaro Negredo – 7 Quiet night as the home side’s focal point but took his goal with a poacher’s instinct. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Gaston Ramírez – 7 Boro’s brightest attacking threat and looked the home side’s most likely to break the Gunners back line down. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Petr Cech - 6 Not tested a great deal and deserved better from his defence for Negredo’s goal. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Gabriel – 6 Always on the edge of an utter calamity the Brazilian managed to avoid any tonight and looked better in a three. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Laurent Koscielny – 7 Arsenal’s best defender but will have wanted to do better with Negredo’s goal. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Rob Holding – 7 Definitely a player for the future if not right now. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 7 Pushed on well down the right flank and offered positional discipline going the other way too. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Aaron Ramsey – 7 Neat and tidy as ever and added a dash of quality with a deliciously composed chested knock down for Ozil’s goal. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Granit Xhaka – 7 Doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going but plenty of energy if not so much discipline from the Swiss. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Nacho Monreal – 7 Added some good balance on the left and thrived with the added attacking responsibility. Still a little clumsy in the defence. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Mesut Özil – 7 Took his goal with the composure required and added the class when the Gunners needed it most. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Alexis Sánchez – 8 Not one of the Chilean’s best games yet was still the outstanding performer scoring one and creating another. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Olivier Giroud – 7 Didn’t threaten as much as he would’ve liked but added the focal point that Arsenal lack with Sanchez up top. Getty

“For us, the clarity is there - we have to win every game to have a chance to get in the top four,” Wenger said, after he watched Arsenal edge to only their second league win since the start of February.

“I think it will make the team a bit more serene. You could see that on some occasions, we were a bit over-cautious tonight. Hopefully that will give us a bit more confidence.

“Mathematically it is still possible, even if it is difficult, but we have to give it a go.”

Wenger has urged his players to continue fighting (Getty)

Middlesbrough almost sprung a surprise when Alvaro Negredo cancelled out Alexis Sanchez's stunning 42nd-minute free-kick, with Daniel Ayala going close to putting his side in the lead with a close-range header moments later.

But Mesut Ozil's 71st-minute winner won all three points for Arsenal and validated Wenger’s decision to experiment with a new formation for the game – a 3-4-3 system similar to that used by Chelsea.

Ozil celebrates his winning goal against Middlesbrough (Getty)

When asked whether the tactical switch had worked as planned, Wenger replied: “Yes, it is the first time in 20 years. That shows you that even at my age, you can change.

“I felt we were recently a bit vulnerable defensively and I wanted a bit more reassurance to the team. Recently we have faced many direct games, and I thought before the game maybe they would play with [Rudy] Gestede and Negredo and go for a very direct game.