The fading of Arsenal's Premier League title hopes has not put them under additional pressure to perform in the Champions League, insists Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal thrashed Eredivisie giants PSV 7-1 away from home last week in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, all but guaranteeing a quarter-final spot.

However, their recent performances in the league have not hit those heights, with a return of two points – and one goal – from three matches leaving them 15 points behind leaders Liverpool.

While Arsenal, who are also out of both domestic cups, have a game in hand on the Reds, the Opta supercomputer gives them just a 0.5% chance of recovering to win the title – the same probability they have of dropping out of the top four.

Asked if the Champions League represented their only realistic chance of silverware this season, Arteta told reporters: "It's a competition that we have a lot of enthusiasm for. A lot of energy, we're very consistent.

"Winning tomorrow puts us in a very good position, that's it. It's not about adding pressure, it's the reality of where we are and what we want to deliver.

"We are very conscious that the demands of this football club are to reach the highest level and win competitions, that's it."

Arsenal could meet either holders Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid in next month's quarter-finals. 

"Since the day we had the teams set out you are looking at the others for sure, and then the ones we knew as well," Arteta said.

"We know them all because they are so good, so you put in your head, 'what if?' But that's it. You have to earn every right to be in that position."

Arteta also hinted at giving some of Arsenal's younger players gametime against PSV, saying: "We've done that when we could.

"It's always great because they've been extremely helpful and bring so much to the team. When you have the opportunity to any player to say thank you, or give minutes, it is a way of telling them we appreciate what you do for us." 

Wednesday's game will be Arteta's 20th in the Champions League as Arsenal manager, having recorded 13 wins, three draws and four defeats in the competition to date.

In Champions League history, only nine managers have won 13 of their first 20 games, with seven of those going on to lift the trophy at some stage (Louis van Gaal, Marcello Lippi, Jupp Heynckes, Vicente del Bosque, Luis Enrique, Zinedine Zidane and Hansi Flick).