Unai Emery Says Arsenal 'Can Make the Top 4' Ahead of Huddersfield Clash

Unai Emery has said Arsenal "can make the top four" in the 2018-19 Premier League but that they need to improve defensively.

The Gunners dropped down to sixth in the table with their 3-1 defeat to Manchester City last time out, and their defensive injury crisis is a worry:

Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin are both out for the season, and Arsenal have conceded 36 goals in the league in 2018-19, the worst record in the top eight.

They also have a terrible recent away record, having failed to win on the road in the league since November.

Emery said ahead of Arsenal's visit to bottom-of-the-table Huddersfield Town on Saturday that is another issue that needs to be rectified, per Sky Sports News:

"My first critic is myself. We can make the top four, but we know it's not easy. We are strong at home, but I think we need to do better away. We started very well, changing our mentality to get more points away. But now we need to recover our confidence and performance.

"Also we know defensively we need to do better. We tried to play with three and two centre-backs. Be passionate, be calm but above all work."

Arsenal are just three points behind fourth-place Chelsea, and the Blues go to table-topping Manchester City on Sunday.

The Gunners now face the added challenge, though, of a resurgent Manchester United, whose eight-match unbeaten run in the league under caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has seen them move into fifth.

Arsenal failed to finish in the top four in both Arsene Wenger's last two seasons in charge, so if Emery can return the club to the UEFA Champions League in his debut campaign, it would be a major achievement.

With 47 points after 25 games, Arsenal are five points better off than they were at the same stage last season.

That is a sign of progress, but it will mean little if Arsenal can't break back into the top four.

They have the attacking talent to do just that, but they must improve defensively if they are to overhaul Chelsea and United.