Henrikh Mkhitaryan Arsenal 2018-19Getty Images

'We are not looking at the table' - Arsenal aiming to avoid complacency in top-four race, says Mkhitaryan

Henrikh Mkhitaryan says Arsenal will not allow complacency to creep in as they chase a top-four Premier League finish, despite moving ahead of their rivals in the table.

Unai Emery's side are now fourth in the standings on 53 points after 27 games, one ahead of Manchester United and three ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea, who have a game in hand.

The Gunners comfortably beat Southampton 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, thanks to goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Mkhitaryan, extending their winning run to four matches across all competitions.

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Arsenal have endured a mixed 2018-19 campaign to date, but they seem to be hitting their stride at the perfect time, with huge fixtures against Bournemouth and Tottenham to come over the next seven days.

Speaking after their latest win, Mkhitaryan insisted that the squad is fully focused on taking one game at a time and not getting carried away by their current position in the table.

“We are not looking at the table at the moment because we still have lots of games to play,” Mkhitaryan said, per The Independent.

"The most important is to be focused and to be ready for every game because we are not going to think that we are in the top four and nothing will change. We just have to keep working and trying to our best to win three points in every game.

“It is not the main thing at the moment. The season is not done as we still have lots of games to play. The most important thing is to stay focused and keep winning games."

Mkhitaryan's 17th-minute strike against the Saints was his first since scoring in Arsenal's 3-2 reverse fixture back in December and it capped a superb individual performance.

The 30-year-old has struggled for consistency at the Emirates since his switch from United in January 2018, but he thrived as part of a trio of attacking midfielders playing in behind Lacazette on Sunday.

Despite excelling in a more advanced role, Mkhitaryan went on to add that he will always give his best no matter what position Emery decides to play him in.

“It doesn't matter where I play,” he said. “The most important is to be in the starting line-up and to help the team win games, that is the most important thing. I don't care if I play from the left, the right or the middle – the most important is to do something good for the team.”

Mkhitaryan has now contributed five goals and two assists for the Gunners over the course of 16 Premier League matches this term and he is in line to retain his place in the starting XI for the home clash with Bournemouth on Wednesday.

When asked if he feels any pressure to maintain such a high level of performance to earn a regular spot in Emery's line-up, the Armenia international responded: "Everyone knows what they have to do. There is nothing to be under pressure about because we know exactly what we have to do.

“We know how to play the ball and understand each other to have a good connection between the players to score goals."

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