Arsenal to tie down crucial duo with new contracts as Wenger prepares for future

Ozil and Sanchez have 21 league assists between them for Arsenal this term

With Wenger still stubbornly refusing to concede that this season's title challenge is over, despite the fact that Arsenal go into Saturday's clash with Watford at the Emirates 11 points behind league leaders Leicester, the Gunners' manager confirmed that not only is he not intending to walk away from the club despite discontent from fans but he is already plotting the future.

German midfieder Ozil, who has been a target for Barcelona this season and this week has accused the Gunners of "screwing up" their title challenge, will sign a new deal in the summer which will take his salary to £180,000-a-week.

Chilean striker Sanchez, who like Ozil has just over two years of his current £130,000-a-week contract to run, will also commit himself to the Emirates on a similar deal.

Wenger said: "Both of those will be done in the break, in the summer.

"I am confident they will be done. They both look happy. When I talk to them they are happy, and they want to extend their contracts, so I don't think it is a problem."

Ozil said Arsenal have virtually blown their title chances by not beating the "smaller " teams.

But Wenger insisted that he was not worried that the comments indicated that Arsenal's players had given up the chase.

He saiid: "I will make sure they don't feel that.

"The statement is not welcome. Because we have to believe, no matter if it is just one chance in 100, we have to believe. We only have a real chance if we believe.

"The worst thing in life is to have wrong beliefs. You have to make sure that you give absolutely your best, and at the end accept that if somebody is better than you, that you have done that.

"The worst thing for us would be not to believe. We have to play with passion until the end. We are in it this season and it is far from over. That is the best way to get the supporters behind us. I will talk to him about what he has said.

"I have nothing against someone being honest. But you need to look forward."

Wenger, who will have goalkeeper Petr Cech returning today and also has England star Jack Wilshere back in training and set to return in a fortnight, said: "I want these players to be rewarded. If you look at the effort they have put in since the start of the season, you know they deserve that. But Leicester will say the say the same, and Tottenham. There's still a good opportunity and we have to grab it now. It's now or never.

"Leicester have lost only three games, two against us, so what have the other teams done? After 31 games you cannot say it is an accident that they are there, it is not an accident, it is a surprise. They have top level players and their numbers are top. It is no coincidence."

Quique Flores has warned Watford to expect a fired up Arsenal side hell-bent on seeking revenge today.

Watford sent holders Arsenal tumbling out of the FA Cup at the quarter final stage with last month's surprise 2-1 win at the Emirates.

Now Flores' men return to Arsenal's own backyard to go head-to-head with a out to make amends as they battle to keep their title hopes alive.

"This game now is a completely different competition, scenario and match," said Watford manager Flores. "But they will want revenge.

"We will find a very good team and players and we will need to be at our best to win.

"It's a harder game now than we faced in the FA Cup. We are expecting a tough opponent and match."

Watford's win was all the more surprising given their poor form that has seen them win collect just eight points from 11 league games in 2016.

Despite their slump, they are mid table and all but safe, even if they are in danger of seeing their Premier League season falter.

Flores says he will not allow his side to focus solely on their looming semi-final date with Crystal Palace at Wembley.

He said: "There is a feeling we are in a comfort zone and a little bit on standby - and I don't like that.

"We need to recover the energy we showed that the start of the season. And we have to forget what happens in the future with the FA Cup.

"The league is our objective and it's dangerous to focus on one semi final match that we don't play in for three weeks."