Premier League: Arsenal wants to be world's best, says Unai Emery

Arsenal is aiming to be the world's best, but head coach Unai Emery said he needed time.

Unai Emery wants Arsenal to develop into the best club in the world, but the head coach asked for fans to be patient.

Arsenal is fighting for a top-four finish in the Premier League, sitting fifth ahead of Sunday's trip to Leicester City. It is also in the Europa League semifinals, where one of Emery's former clubs in Valencia awaits.

In his first season at the helm, Emery said he wanted to take Arsenal to great heights, but added he needed to be given time. "We want to get with this club to the point where we are the best club in England and the world, but it is a long process. Sometimes, like today, we need to talk about patience," he told UK newspapers, via The Telegraph .

Read | Emery riled by questions over Arsenal form and top four chances

"We want to play in the Champions League but also we know our process needs to be with patience because there are another five very strong teams with very good players and very big performances."

With Liverpool and Manchester City clear at the top, Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United are battling for the remaining two Champions League qualification places. Emery said qualifying for Europe's elite club competition was the most challenging in England.

"The Premier League is the most difficult championship in all the world. There is not another country with this difficulty to take the top four places and play in the Champions League," he said.

"Maybe now in Spain, they have something similar — Valencia is struggling for the top four also, but here the biggest teams in the world play in one championship."