Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will not prioritise Europa League despite admitting Gunners are all but out of top four race
Gunners are now six points short of Champions League spots but Frenchman adamant Prem is still priority
ARSENE WENGER will not prioritise the Europa League — despite virtually conceding Arsenal’s top-four hopes.
Europa glory would get them into the Champions League via the back door.
But after Harry Kane sank his Gunners again, Wenger said: “I am not a great fan of the Europa League being a qualifier for the Champions League because I think it’s not right.
“If it is an opportunity we will have to try to take it — but the priority is still the Premier League.
“This was a game we couldn’t afford to lose.”
The Gunners are sixth after Kane bagged his seventh goal in seven Prem games against them.
Boss Wenger blasted: “There was more at stake than the derby and that is why it is so disappointing to lose the way we lost it.
“That makes it much more difficult to get top four — but we have to fight as long as we have a mathematical chance.
“Manchester United decided to focus on the Europa League once they were in the semi-finals, although we are far from getting there.
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“And I think we have to fight to have a chance to come back in the league.
“Overall it is a very disappointing result as the priority has to be to get into the Champions League through the Premier League.”
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Wenger also hit back at club legend Martin Keown, who accused his Gunners defence of having “no resolve, desire or hunger to defend”.
Pundit Keown, a member of Wenger’s 2004 Invincibles, savaged their defending.
He told BT Sport: “Away from home there is not the resolve, desire or hunger to defend.
“They allowed too much space to Tottenham and they exploited it. Three times Harry Kane got in.
“As a defender, go and park yourself next to him.”
But Wenger insists Kane will score against the very best defences He added: “I don’t think they lack hunger to defend. They were caught by a super striker — one of the best in the world.
“He has scores against everybody so all the defenders who play against him lack hunger then!
“You say we are not strong enough defending but we don’t score enough away either.”
Victory boosted Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino’s own top-four ambitions.
And Kane said: “We deserved it and should have finished them off with three or four clear-cut chances.”