Silva warns Hull to stay focused ahead of Arsenal test

Hull, who were propping up the table when Silva took charge on Jan. 5, have improved in recent weeks, drawing with Manchester United at Old Trafford and beating Liverpool 2-0 last weekend to rise to 18th in the table.

(Reuters)

A win at Arsenal could lift Hull out of the relegation zone for the first time since October, but Silva said his team had a long way to go.

"We have to achieve our goal to remain in Premier League," the Portuguese told a news conference on Thursday. "It is important that I want my players with their feet on the ground because we have won nothing."

Defender Michael Dawson (calf) and forward Abel Hernandez (hamstring) are out for the next few weeks, but Egypt international midfielder Ahmed Elmohamady could play at Arsenal after returning from the African Nations Cup.

Silva, who guided Olympiakos to a 3-2 win over Arsenal in the Champions League in 2015, said he had fond memories of the Emirates Stadium, but insisted that Hull were far from the finished article.

"The Emirates holds good memories for me, it's a fantastic stadium and last time I played there it was a great result," he added.

"This week it has been good because we have had all the week to prepare. I want more of my team and it is possible they give more, because I know we can but we need to do it step by step."

(Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)