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Alexandre Lacazette has admitted Arsenal’s players want to win the Europa League to keep Arsene Wenger in a job.

Wenger, 68, survived a major scare at CSKA Moscow and now faces an anxious wait on Friday’s semi final draw knowing that his fate as manager could be decided on winning the trophy and getting back into the Champions League.

Gunners boss Wenger is under mounting pressure after a poor domestic campaign but Lacazette is desperate to go all the way, especially as next month’s final is staged at his former club Lyon.

Lacazette said: “It can be the way to keep the manager because he did so much good for the club. We want to win trophies.

"It will save our season because in the Premier League we are not doing well. Winning a cup would be good.

(Image: David Price)

(Image: David Price)

"We are happy. Even if not an easy game. We are happy to go into the semi final. We want to go to the final so we have to be careful and be ready. Every team is good. We can’t choose any club. We will see.

"I really want to be in the final to play in front of my family and friends but it’s not only that i came to Arsenal because I want to win trophies. So to play in the final is important.”

Arsenal keeper Petr Cech also admitted the squad feels a “big responsibility” to win the trophy.

Cech said: “You can feel it. There is a big responsibility for everyone because we know with the position we are in the league, it is difficult.

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

“Someone would have to have a big meltdown in the last seven games to give us a chance to sneak into the top four through the league.

“We know this is our chance to book our Champions League spot but not only that, you play a European competition for a cup and for a cup the club has never won. This is another opportunity to add a great trophy to the cabinet.

“You need to keep the progression. You keep that not only on the pitch but by winning things. Obviously it will be very important for the club to finish the season with a European success and most importantly, if we can book the spot in the Champions League for next season.

(Image: AFP)

“A club of Arsenal’s size and history belongs in the Champions League. Hopefully we can progress another round and give it a shot in the final.

“We know that the start of the game (in Moscow) was not what we planned to do but I think in a European competition you don’t ask how well you played each round – you can play beautiful football but when you are knocked out, you are knocked out.

“So I think in any European competition you need to play well enough to go through. This is sometimes the most important than playing beautiful football.”

Cech also says he is now desperate to keep on playing in the competition. David Ospina was missing with an ankle injury and normally plays in the Europa League but Cech stood in at CSKA Moscow and wants to stay in goal.

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“We haven’t talked about that. We will see what will be his decision for the rest of the competition,” said Cech. “But, as every player, I would like to play in these games The semi-finals of the cup is a brilliant opportunity.”

Arsenal survived a scare at CSKA Moscow as they went within a goal of going out before turning the tie around and drawing 2-2 to go through 6-3 on aggregate.

Cech admitted they put themselves in a “bad position” and it was a major test of character.

He added: “We put ourselves in a very bad position. In the second half when you are 2-0 down, not playing particularly well and they were doing really well, in that moment you need to find a way through.

(Image: TASS)

“We actually found our way with a good calmness and I really like that. We found our feet and deserved to score at the end.

“We started slowly and in the first half we probably took all of it to get into some rhythm. We didn’t create enough to get the away goal we wanted. But at the same time we were in control.

“I thought that as the time went by, if you have that advantage and the game is 0-0, you think you are in a pretty good position. But the first goal changed everything because they started feeling they had an outside chance to come back.

“We were suddenly in a position that we didn’t want to be and the second half we started similar to the first one.

(Image: AFP)

"The best part of our game was after we conceded for 2-0. They had that free-kick, the didn’t score and after that we came back to the game.

“I thought we showed a lot of maturity in the last 20 minutes because we were under a lot of pressure but we played our best part of the game. We scored a goal which was disallowed and then scored the goal that decided the tie.

“After that, you could see their energy drop again and we could wait for another counter-attack and we scored the second goal. But the first goal – Danny Welbeck’s – was the key.”