Francis Coquelin believes it was vital Arsenal took three points from their match against QPR last night given that their rivals for the top four spots all won.
Arsene Wenger's men survived a late onslaught from a struggling QPR side at Loftus Road to claim a 3-1 win and retain their spot in third place in the Premier League standings.
Fourth placed Manchester United, fifth placed Liverpool, sixth placed Southampton and seventh placed Tottenham Hotspur also all won their midweek matches to add further impetus to what is becoming a scramble to finish in a top four spot.
For that reason, Coquelin feels Arsenal's win was essential.
"It was a tough first half. They put a lot of pressure on us but we came back with better intentions in the second half and scored two great goals", the Frenchman told Arsenal Player.
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"We got the ball down more and played our football so it was easier.
"QPR is always a tough place to come to", Coquelin continued.
"The most important thing was to get the three points, especially with the other results. We did that and everyone is pleased with it."
Arsenal are just one point ahead of fourth placed Manchester United and three in front of Liverpool with ten games left to play. They are next in action in the FA Cup on Monday evening, with a trip to Old Trafford to play Manchester United on the agenda.
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