Martin Keown has revealed that Arsene Wenger never used to care about the top four because Arsenal were too busy challenging for the title.

• Keown played for Arsenal from 1993 – 2004
• Won the league three times under Wenger and FA Cup four times
• Arsenal finished second or first for seven seasons running
• Former defender believes Wenger didn’t care about top four in the past

Back when Keown played for Arsenal, the title was usually a two-horse race between the Gunners and Manchester United.

If you didn’t win the Premier League, Champions League qualification, Keown explains, was more of a consolation prize.

While other teams tended to hover around the top four, Wenger wasn’t really bothered by them because his eyes were always on the real prize: winning the league.

It never crossed his mind that he would be battling for fourth.

“It wasn’t even mentioned,” Keown said.

“When I was at the club under Arsene Wenger we finished either first or second for seven seasons running between 1998 and 2004.

“Our title-winning campaign of 1997-98 was the first season that two clubs qualified for the Champions League. We knew that if we were in the title race, Champions League qualification would be a given. It was more of a consolation prize.

“Had we dropped down, we may have started thinking more about it. Now getting into the Champions League seems to be a massive prize. It has almost become a trophy.”

The Premier League’s a different place now.

It’s far more competitive. Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool and Manchester City are all vying for a top-four spot and it’s made the top of the table closer than ever before.

It’s why the Premier League is now seen as the most exciting because you never know how it’s going to end.