Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry admits Arsenal
hold the upper hand in the race for fourth place - but is refusing
to concede defeat.
The England international has played an integral role in
Villa's pursuit of a Champions League place this season, but has
seen the club suffer a wobble of late.
Martin O'Neill's men have gone seven games without a win, with
Sunday's 2-1 defeat by Tottenham prolonging their agony.
That result saw Villa remain in fifth place in the Premier
League table, edged out of the top four by Arsenal on goal
difference.
They now have nine games in which to overhaul the Gunners, with
Barry well aware that forthcoming fixtures against title-chasing
Liverpool and Manchester United have taken on added importance.
"Liverpool (on Sunday) is set up for a big game personally and
for the team," said Barry, who was involved in a long-running
transfer saga with the Reds over the summer. "What happened last
summer has all gone in my mind, though the fans will bring it back
up.
"Losing to Spurs at the weekend was another blow. It is now
advantage to Arsenal in the Champions League race.
"We have two tough fixtures coming up, Liverpool and Manchester
United. But if we deliver a performance of the season against one,
it could catapult us to a good finish."