Wenger sees clear path toward Champions League qualification

London - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his side knows exactly what it must do in the Champions League qualification race after watching the Gunners gain a 1-0 win over Leicester City.

With time slipping away at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, Wenger threw on Danny Welbeck and Olivier Giroud to finish with four strikers on the pitch.

His side eventually prevailed courtesy of a late own goal by Robert Huth.

Arsenal remains outside the Champions League places, but Wenger said: "We have one advantage - the advantage of clarity.

"We have to win our games, so that's why we cannot be happy with a 0-0.

"We absolutely have to take a gamble to try and win the game at any cost. We took the initiative tonight."

With only 72 hours to recover from Sunday's grueling FA Cup semi-final extra-time victory over Manchester City, Wenger praised the resilience of his players.

"We lacked penetration and a change of pace," he told reporters.

"You could see that we had some heavy legs and we lacked a bit of speed in our game to get Leicester out of position.

"They defend well, but in the end I think the win rewards the team which took the initiative during the game.

"Let's not forget as well that we played on Sunday afternoon. Leicester didn't play at all over the weekend, so we knew we had a little handicap on that front."

Wenger promised Arsenal will approach Sunday's north London derby at Tottenham Hotspur purely as another step towards Champions League qualification, not a chance to halt its rival's title charge.

"We play for us," said the Frenchman, whose future at Arsenal remains up in the air.

"In life you work for your own achievements, not for those of others."