18.03.2016 01:30 h

Bellerin tells Arsenal to use Euro woe to fuel title push

Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin has challenged his spluttering side to use the pain of their Champions League exit as fuel to make a final push for the Premier League title.

Just one week ago, Arsene Wenger's side were still targeting a place in the FA Cup semi-finals and retained faint hopes of progressing in the Champions League.

Now, after successive defeats to Watford and Barcelona, the Gunners' sole interest lies in the Premier League where they sit 11 points behind leaders Leicester City having played a game less.

With nine matches remaining, the chances of Arsenal closing the gap on Leicester are slim and only three points at Goodison Park against Everton on Saturday will retain their interest in the title race and quieten the calls for Wenger to call time on his tenure at the club.

More significantly, the improved form of West Ham means Slaven Bilic's team lie just three points behind in fifth place, and Wenger's side must end a run that has brought just one win in eight games in all competitions if they are to consolidate their top four spot.

It's a measure of Arsenal's recent decline that their 3-1 defeat at the Nou Camp this week was accompanied by a sense of relief the game hadn't been more one-sided.

And the performance persuaded Spanish right-back Bellerin that the north London club could still end the season on a high.

"All the players and all the staff will give everything on the pitch but sometimes things don't go your way," he said.

"Sometimes you are high, sometimes you are low. It is about being high as much as we can and hopefully things will get better.

"I don't think many teams can face Barcelona in the way that we did, even though the result was a bit too wide given what had gone on the pitch.

"I think we did really well and we had our chances and while we could not materialise them, we showed we were up there.

"We can take a lot of positives as well and finish the season on a high. There are other things you can take from the games and now it is about focusing on the league and finishing the season on a high."

While Wenger's critics seem to grow more vociferous by the week, Everton manager Roberto Martinez has mounted a strong defence of the Frenchman, insisting Arsenal can still challenge for the title if Leicester suffer key injuries.

"It is a lack of understanding for what he has done," Martinez said.

"People are giving an opinion that haven't really seen what he has done, the shock he brought when he arrived at the club.

"He understood the British game more than anyone, added a bit of flair and created this special dressing room that could adapt into the British game with a continental attitude.

"Then he created the 'Invincibles'. Then he was managing the funds and the finances with the stadium.

"It is constant innovation. I just think that he shouldn't be assessed like any other manager."

And Martinez views Arsenal as a wounded animal after their exit from the Champions League.

"They are a hurt team at the moment. They played maybe the best team in Europe, maybe the best team in the world. You're out of the Champions League and you want a reaction," he said.

"With good players, you're never playing them at a good time when they have been hurt.

"The thing with Arsenal now is that they're only in the league. I think Arsenal could cope with three injuries but Leicester could not with Mahrez and Vardy.

"I agree it will be difficult, because there is another team. I would say if Mahrez and Vardy got injured now, then Arsenal would finish on top."