Sokratis Talks Top 4 Race, Says He Can't Explain Arsenal's Poor Away Form

Arsenal defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos believes the Gunners need to win at least four of their last six Premier League games in 2018-19 if they are to finish in the top four.

The north London side's woeful away form continued on Sunday as they lost 1-0 to Everton at Goodison Park.

Arsenal have now won just one of their last nine on the road in the league, a stark contrast to their 10-game winning run at the Emirates.

Four of the Gunners' remaining six league games this term are away from home, including a visit to Watford in a week's time. It's a fixture Sokratis will miss thanks to a two-game suspension following his 10th yellow card of the season against Everton.

The 30-year-old said he is at a loss to explain why Arsenal cannot seem to produce their best when they are not playing at home, per The Independent's Carl Markham:  

"I don't think so because if you see big teams like United and Chelsea they also lost a lot of points. It is very difficult. We are in the Premier League and the other teams are strong. I don't have a reason. Other teams are the same, some days good, some days bad. We have to improve and look towards the next game. But I think we didn't have the same fight [as Everton] so we didn't win a lot of battles and we conceded a goal which was a little bit easy.

"Of course [it is frustrating to be suspended]. I like to play every game, to be there to help the team but it is not in my hands. I hope that Laurent Koscielny [injured for the trip to Goodison Park] is coming back. We need to win at least another four games and then we will see if we are in the top four."

As well as the trip to Watford, Arsenal also travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leicester City and Burnley before the end of the season, and they host Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion.

On paper, it is arguably an easier run-in than the other sides fighting for the top four: Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Manchester United.

The Red Devils and Chelsea are both behind Arsenal in the table, so the Gunners have an advantage:

However, it cannot be ignored that, of the 63 points they have accrued already this season—matching their entire total from last term—44 points have come at home at an average of over 2.5 points per game.

Away from home, that average drops to less than 1.3. Given the make-up of their remaining fixtures in the season, their 2018-19 form suggests Arsenal will add around 10 more points to their total in the rest of the campaign.

As indicated by Sokratis, that is unlikely to be enough, so Unai Emery and his side will have to find a way to improve on the road if they want to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next term.