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Can Arsenal Make It Into the Top 4 This Season?
The 2015-16 season was the last time Arsenal finished in the top four of the Premier League. Before that, they made it into the top four and enjoyed the lucrative benefits of Champions League qualification every season for almost two decades.
This miserable run outside the top four was compounded last season when the club finished eighth. To put that into perspective, it was Arsenal’s worst finish since the 1994-95 season.
Yet, Arsenal also won the FA Cup last season. They acquired the Community Shield against the near unstoppable Liverpool to kickstart their current campaign. Plus, with Mikel Arteta at the wheel, Arsenal seem to be a much more organised and formidable side than they have in years.
However, is this enough for them to reclaim a top four spot?
The Arteta effect
Since Mikel Arteta returned to Arsenal as manager back in December 2019, it’s clear the club has made great strides in their on-field performances. There’s a steely resolve about the team that hasn’t existed for years. They can grind out results. They can also compete — and beat — the best sides in the league. In just the last few months, Arteta has seen Arsenal topple Man City, Chelsea, and Liverpool.
Arteta’s influence has also seen numerous players being dropped, either due to substandard performances or the wrong attitude. Along with the much publicised situation of Mesut Ozil, Arteta didn’t hesitate to remove starter Matteo Guendouzi from the equation due to dissent.
Did Arsenal make the right signings?
Arsenal only made two major signings during the ‘summer’ transfer window. Yet both players look like they could have a massive impact on the starting eleven. New central defender Gabriel has already slotted into the side and put in some commanding performances at the back. Then there’s Thomas Partey, signed on deadline day for £45 million from Atletico Madrid. Partey is recognised as one of the world’s finest all-action central midfielders and he could add the steel Arsenal has desperately needed in that position.
The worry with Arsenal is a lack of creativity. The side is near the bottom of the league’s statistics in terms of chances created. While Partey will help to change that, Arsenal missing out on Lyon’s playmaking wizard Houssem Aouar could come back to bite them.
The competition
When you look at the best odds for Arsenal landing in the top four, you can still get a fairly decent price right now. This is because even though Arsenal has made a strong start to the season, there’s at least eight or nine clubs vying for the top four.
Plus based on previous form, two of those spots have essentially been sewn up by Liverpool and Man City already. This leaves two other spots, and Chelsea, Tottenham, Man United, Everton, Leicester, and Wolves all look prepared to battle Arsenal for them this season.
After making substantial investments to their side with Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Thiago Silva, and more, Chelsea are generally seen as the favourite to claim third spot in the league. After that, the bookies see it as a shootout between Arsenal, Tottenham, Man Utd, and Everton for the last spot.
Yet if they can avoid injuries to key players and continue to grow under Arteta’s vision, Arsenal look primed to land in the top four again.
The 2015-16 season was the last time Arsenal finished in the top four of the Premier League. Before that, they made it into the top four and enjoyed the lucrative benefits of Champions League qualification every season for almost two decades.
This miserable run outside the top four was compounded last season when the club finished eighth. To put that into perspective, it was Arsenal’s worst finish since the 1994-95 season.
Yet, Arsenal also won the FA Cup last season. They acquired the Community Shield against the near unstoppable Liverpool to kickstart their current campaign. Plus, with Mikel Arteta at the wheel, Arsenal seem to be a much more organised and formidable side than they have in years.
However, is this enough for them to reclaim a top four spot?
The Arteta effect
Since Mikel Arteta returned to Arsenal as manager back in December 2019, it’s clear the club has made great strides in their on-field performances. There’s a steely resolve about the team that hasn’t existed for years. They can grind out results. They can also compete — and beat — the best sides in the league. In just the last few months, Arteta has seen Arsenal topple Man City, Chelsea, and Liverpool.
Arteta’s influence has also seen numerous players being dropped, either due to substandard performances or the wrong attitude. Along with the much publicised situation of Mesut Ozil, Arteta didn’t hesitate to remove starter Matteo Guendouzi from the equation due to dissent.
Did Arsenal make the right signings?
Arsenal only made two major signings during the ‘summer’ transfer window. Yet both players look like they could have a massive impact on the starting eleven. New central defender Gabriel has already slotted into the side and put in some commanding performances at the back. Then there’s Thomas Partey, signed on deadline day for £45 million from Atletico Madrid. Partey is recognised as one of the world’s finest all-action central midfielders and he could add the steel Arsenal has desperately needed in that position.
The worry with Arsenal is a lack of creativity. The side is near the bottom of the league’s statistics in terms of chances created. While Partey will help to change that, Arsenal missing out on Lyon’s playmaking wizard Houssem Aouar could come back to bite them.
The competition
When you look at the best odds for Arsenal landing in the top four, you can still get a fairly decent price right now. This is because even though Arsenal has made a strong start to the season, there’s at least eight or nine clubs vying for the top four.
Plus based on previous form, two of those spots have essentially been sewn up by Liverpool and Man City already. This leaves two other spots, and Chelsea, Tottenham, Man United, Everton, Leicester, and Wolves all look prepared to battle Arsenal for them this season.
After making substantial investments to their side with Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Thiago Silva, and more, Chelsea are generally seen as the favourite to claim third spot in the league. After that, the bookies see it as a shootout between Arsenal, Tottenham, Man Utd, and Everton for the last spot.
Yet if they can avoid injuries to key players and continue to grow under Arteta’s vision, Arsenal look primed to land in the top four again.
