Nacho Monreal says Arsenal will go match by match as they look to close the gap on the teams above them in the Premier League.

Saturday’s 2-0 win over Sp*rs in the North London derby saw the Gunners reduce the deficit on their neighbours to one point, however, they still sit outside the Champions League positions in sixth and are 12 points adrift of leaders Manchester City.

As the games come thick and fast before Christmas, Monreal accepts that consistency will be key.

“What we all want is for the team to maintain this dynamic in the coming games,” he told the International Business Times.

“We are a team that when we are playing well, when we are focused, when we have solidarity…we are very hard. It’s tough to play against us. It is true that we have this fault: we are a bit inconsistent.

“We are able to play two, three games at a very high level and then we have a dip. If we were more consistent we would be fighting for more things at the end of the season. But the win over Tottenham gives us confidence for the coming games.

“I think we don’t have to be obsessed about setting a certain target. We go match by match. The target was to beat Tottenham and now the next one is to do the same in the Europa League. When the months of January, February arrive, we will see where we are and what we can achieve.

“We aim to win everything but we cannot become obsessed. In previous seasons we arrived at January as Premier League leaders, it seemed that we were going to win the title and in the end we suffered a blow.”

Arsenal travel to Cologne on Thursday, a match Monreal will likely be rested for, before taking on Sean Dyche’s high-flying Burnley at Turf Moor on Sunday.

Monreal also touched on the contract situation of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez who both caught the eye in the North London derby. In just over six weeks, the Germany midfielder and Chile striker will both be allowed to talk to foreign clubs about a free move next summer. It’s a situation that continues to cast a shadow over the Emirates, although Monreal doesn’t seem too bothered.

“Yes, the feeling is that they will continue,” he added. “At no time have we talked about the possibility of them leaving. Not at all. They are committed to the group and we will see what happens.

“I can’t say much about it. It does not depend on me. The situation is clear. They are two vital players for Arsenal. They are two players who end their contracts at the end of the season. If the club want them to stay beyond December [the January transfer window] they will follow. Yet, I do not know the club’s intentions. It is other people who are the ones who have to make a decision.”