Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admits missing the top four would be a huge setback.
Back-to-back defeats against Crystal Palace and Brighton severely dented Arsenal's hopes of Champions League football next season, and another setback at Southampton – who have been in freefall – would leave them in danger of another finish outside the top six.
And Arteta admitted there was a threat of psychological damage if they miss the boat again, conceding: “When you are close to achieving something, that's always the risk when you're close to winning a trophy and then at the end you don't win it.
“Last year, when we were in the semi-finals of the Europa League and Aubameyang hit the post and it should have gone in but it went out and you're not in the final, that's football. You have to be prepared for that. It's getting harder and harder (to finish in the top four).
"You see the level of the managers, the level of the teams, the individual players the top teams have to make the differences in games. It's absolutely huge. That's what we're fighting against. But we have eight games left and there will be twists and turns for sure."
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