Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal have left behind pain of EFL Cup final defeat after big win over CSKA Moscow

Arsenal beat CSKA Moscow 4-1, continuing an impressive run of form that including a 5-1 two-leg demolition of AC Milan and 3-0 Premier League wins over Watford and Stoke

Arsene Wenger oversaw a confident victory at the Emirates (Getty Images)

Arsene Wenger believes that Arsenal have emerged from the pain of their EFL Cup final defeat after recording their fifth consecutive win this evening, moving one step closer to the Europa League semi-final.

Arsenal beat CSKA Moscow 4-1 at the Emirates, continuing an impressive run of form that including a 5-1 two-leg demolition of AC Milan and 3-0 Premier League wins over Watford and Stoke City. While fourth place in the Premier League might be beyond them, Wenger is delighted with how his team have “stayed humble” and turned their season around, providing the prospect of a Europa League triumph in Lyon on 16 May to cap it all off.

The consecutive 3-0 defeats to Manchester City, in the League Cup and here in the league, and then the 2-1 loss at Brighton and Hove Albion have now been left in the past, thanks to Arsenal’s powers of recovery. “We have responded well,” Wenger said after the CSKA win tonight. “People forget that we lost three games in a week, because the first game was a final, and it takes time to recover from that. But the mentality is good in the side and that’s why we recovered. You are always worried when you don’t win games that people expect you to win, but as I said many times there’s only one way to respond: the quality of performance on the pitch.”

This 4-1 win means that Arsenal are strong favourites to reach the final four – the go to Moscow next week for the second leg – but Wenger insisted that the job is not done yet. “I felt the first-half was a spectacular first-half played at a high pace,” he said, “and as well an uncomfortable one for me, because they looked dangerous as well. I always hoped that we could score but as well I was worried that they could score. it will help us to focus completely in the second game and not think it's job done. We know it's not over. We have to go there with the right focus and try to win the game.”

While expectations are rising about a European trophy this season, Wenger said that the recent fluctuations of form meant that he could not be too confident yet. “We are in the quarter-finals, there’s a long way to go, we have to finish the job,” he said. “We are not qualified for the semis, it’s too early to talk about that. We have suffered a lot recently, as you just said, we were hurt, that will help us to be really fit on the ground, humble, and just try to do our job well.”

But Arsenal will be without David Ospina for Sunday’s game with Southampton and the second leg of this tie in Moscow too after he sprained an ankle in training yesterday. “He just moved back on a shot, and sprained his ankle, alone, without any contact, just a bad movement,” Wenger explained. “The scan today was reassuring. He will be out for 2-3 weeks. But yesterday we were scared for a very serious injury, but the scan was reassuring today.” Henrikh Mkhitaryan will also be assessed after limping off today with a knee injury which will be assessed on Friday.