Monday 23rd March 2009
O'Neill: Gunner be tough
Martin O'Neill accepts it is going to be "very tough" for Aston Villa to overhaul Arsenal and secure fourth spot.
Villa's bid to finish in the top four has collapsed over the past month following a run of five Premier League games without a win.
Sunday's 5-0 defeat at Liverpool left Villa three points behind Arsenal and seriously dented their goal difference.
O'Neill is not giving up on Champions League football with eight games of the season remaining, but acknowledged the difficulty of gatecrashing the top four.
"You would have to say now there won't be much of a threat from us to Arsenal's position," said O'Neill.
"It's no fluke that the top four are where they are and we are in a dip right now.
"We are not as strong as those four clubs. I have said it many times before and I will say it again - we still have a lot of catching up to do.
"It is still reachable as Arsenal have many tough games to come.
"But they are getting some of their injured players back and it's going to be very, very tough."
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