Arsenal can still finish in top four, says Ljungberg

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Arsenal can still finish in top four, says Ljungberg
Arsenal interim manager Freddie Ljungberg

London - Ljungberg said ideally he would have "five or six weeks" to get his ideas across to the players

By Reuters

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Published: Mon 2 Dec 2019, 9:17 PM

Last updated: Mon 2 Dec 2019, 11:20 PM

Arsenal's interim manager Freddie Ljungberg said Arsenal can still finish in the Premier League top four despite a 2-2 draw at Norwich City on Sunday that extended the club's winless streak in the league to six games.
Former Gunners' midfielder Ljungberg was in charge for the first time after Unai Emery's sacking on Friday and watched skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang twice level for his side.
There were plenty of positives for 42-year-old Ljungberg but Arsenal's defensive frailties would not have escaped him as struggling Norwich punished the visitors with goals by Teemu Pukki and Todd Cantwell in the first half.
Arsenal are enduring their longest winless league run in a single season since 1994 and are seven points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea in eighth spot. They have not won in all competitions for eight games but Ljungberg remained upbeat.
"100 percent," the Swede said when asked if Arsenal could still mount a top-four challenge. "People drop points here and there and we drop points, it's a crazy league at the moment. I hope and think Arsenal can finish in the top four."
Ljungberg said ideally he would have "five or six weeks" to get his ideas across to the players but with a home match against Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday before a trip to West Ham United the following Monday he does not have that luxury.
After Aubameyang's second equaliser early in the second half it was actually Norwich who looked the more likely winners as the game finished wide open. Ljungberg said tightening up all over the pitch was an area that his side needed to work on.
"We have problems in transitions, and that's what I will try to fix," he said, adding that he wanted Arsenal to have more possession and deny their opponents as many chances to shoot.
"I will just try to do small building blocks and try to change things in a slow tempo, so hopefully we can understand it and practice it. But right now we have players who need to recover and we probably only get one and a half (training sessions) again before the next game.
"That's football, for me I just try to make it as simple as possible for the players and hopefully we can get better." 
 


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