Midfielder Mesut Ozil says Arsenal have a fight on their hands to overtake Leicester City at the top of the standings and win the Premier League after exiting two cup competitions in the space of four days.
Arsenal were beaten in the FA Cup by Watford last Sunday and lost 3-1 at Barcelona on Wednesday to exit the Champions League at the last-16 stage for the sixth season in a row.
Manager Arsene Wenger’s team trail Leicester by 11 points, having played a game less, and the Premier League represents their last hope of silverware this season.
“We have to concentrate now and give everything on the pitch. We have to fight,” Ozil told the club’s website (www.arsenal.com).
“I know the teams playing us will fight to take the points against us, so the games will be tough. We have to work harder than before.”
Defender Laurent Koscielny spoke of the frustration and fragile confidence of a team that has failed to win a league game in their last three outings to go alongside their dispiriting losses to Barcelona and Watford.
“We haven’t been fighting like we did in the last six months because we lost a little confidence in ourselves and it is harder to win some games,” he said.
“We need to come back to our basics, be simple and then the confidence will come back.”
