Everton vs. Arsenal: Arsene Wenger's Key Pre-Match Press Conference Quotes

Arsene Wenger acknowledged Arsenal are having to look over their shoulders as well as at their title rivals in the Premier League table ahead of the Gunners' clash with Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.

Per the Mirror's Hamish Mackay, he said: "The Premiership is far from over. We also have to look behind us because things can change very quickly. We want to look forward but I’m conscious our position where we are now is not secure." 

Indeed, the Gunners are 11 points behind league-leaders Leicester City and six points behind bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur with a game in hand, but they are just one point clear of Manchester City in fourth and two ahead of West Ham United in fifth.

Per Arsenal's official Twitter feed, Wenger said Arsenal cannot afford to "stand still" while their rivals gain on them, or, in the case of Leicester and Spurs, move further away:

He is still aiming to win the title, though, according to Mackay: "I would say we have to go step by step and then it’s tough to know. We will see. That’s [winning the league] out target. We have to be realistic."

To do so, Arsenal need to focus on their own results rather than their rivals':

According to Mackay, the Frenchman believes his side are ready to bounce back after a string of poor results: "I believe the team are up for it. We know the huge importance this game has to us. We have to not over think. We just have to go out and perform."

The likes of Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud have come in for criticism of late after a number of missed chances, but Wenger refused to put the blame on individuals and said the team needed to improve on the whole in order for them to start scoring again, per Arsenal:

Per Mackay, Wenger gave the latest updates on his players' fitness, with Mathieu Flamini set to miss out: "We lost Flamini—his hamstring. He’s out for tomorrow. Everybody else is available. There will be a check up this morning."

The likes of Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey won't be featuring until after the international break, though the Welshman looks set to return the quickest, per John Cross of the Daily Mirror:

The 66-year-old hailed Alex Iwobi after the youngster started against Barcelona midweek, but he was careful not to over-hype him, per Mackay: "I personally rate him, to throw him in a game like I did on Wednesday shows I believe in his qualities. I’m a bit cautious because I don’t want to make stars who have played two games but he has a big talent."

Arsenal travel to Everton in desperate need of three points to keep pace with their rivals and if possible open up some breathing room over the chasing pack.

The free-scoring Toffees will no doubt pose a serious challenge to the Gunners, but the north London outfit will take great encouragement from their poor defensive record and tendency to throw away leads.