Arsenal top 4 hopes looking GOOD as Spurs and Liverpool struggle

Fans of rival football teams and almost every pundit out there in the football media are quick enough to jump on Arsenal when we play badly or get the wrong result, so it is nice to see someone else struggle for a change, even though Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino never seem to get anything like the stick that Arsene Wenger does.

Arsenal were basically written off after our trip to Anfield, and not just for the Premier League title either, because no one gave the Gunners a snowball’s chance in hell of finishing in the top four and getting back into the Champions League.

Admittedly we were awful that day and Liverpool took full advantage but look how fast things can change in football. Klopp was being hailed as some sort of genius and his new look side were the best thing since sliced bread, while our north London rivals seemed to be the darlings of the media and ready to take the world by storm.

A couple of weeks later and things are looking and feeling a bit different. Dull draws for the scousers and the spuds to day against Burnley and Swansea, both at home mind you, mean that Arsenal can leapfrog both tomorrow. That would need us to beat Chelsea but even a point would put us level with Spurs and even if we lose at Chelsea the next few rounds could well see us overtake our two rivals, especially if they play the way they have been of late.

Next up for Arsenal are home game with West Brom and Brighton before a trip to Watford and I would not be surprised to see us take maximum points. Liverpool go to Leicester then Newcastle before hosting Man United while Tottenham go to West Ham and Huddersfield before a home game with Bournemouth, but there form at Wembley is a real issue and the pressure is on.

Man City, Chelsea and United do look strong but Arsenal have only just got going and with Liverpool and Tottenham struggling, would you really rule us out of the top four?

Bob.

17 Comments

  1. Christ, we are reduced to a team hoping for top 4 because 2 other teams play draws.
    How far can we fall, before we get some change?

    1. What’s wrong with paying attention to what other teams are up to? When you play for the title, top 4, or anything else, you obviously need to concentrate on yourself first and get the maximum points, but it doesn’t hurt when the opponents slip up as well.

      1. Its the fact that our ambition seems to just be breaking into the top 4. Look at how Chelsea were after finishing 10th, they bought and were expected to push for the title. There should be no difference with us.

    2. Arsenal are 4th in terms of resources out of the big 6 and should expect to achieve that level of success so yes 4th, this is our reality. In the past 4 years and I think anyone will agree that 3-4 years in a reasonable time frame to assess recent success Arsenal ranks as follows out of the big 6:
      CLs: Joint 1st on zero
      PL Titles: Joint 3rd on zero
      FA Cups: 1st on 3 (All 4 won by the big 6 do not know where this myth has come from that it is not a major trophy.)
      Europa League: Joint 2nd on zero
      LC: Joint 4th on zero (all 4 have been won by the big 6 and it’s a much lesser trophy than the FA so don’t tell me the FA isn’t a major trophy)
      Average League finish: 2nd on 3.5
      Times out of the Top 4: Joint 2nd on 1
      GS PL: 4th
      GC PL: 4th
      GD PL: 3rd

      By any measure we either come out where we should be or better so what exactly is this crisis and how on earth could we manage this if our manager, players, transfer policy and tactics were so bad and outdated?

      Humans are notoriously terrible at assessing things like this but those are the facts. Slightly above average performance.

      Why are Liverpool and Spurs held in such regard for not outperforming us? Why is it ignored how we outperform Man Utd in this time? Why is it ignored that only Chelsea/City the two oil clubs have won the PL in this time? Why when 2 clubs have worse defensive records than us in Liverpool and Spurs do we get castigated for the apparent obvious defensive problems. Worth noting here that we have seen 8 less go in against us than Spurs and 23 less than Liverpool in this time whilst City have only seen 2 less go in against them. If you can’t understand that moaning about this is entitlement then I pity you. The facts are there to see and the crisis at Arsenal isn’t Wengers fault, he is the biggest victim actually. It’s fans who can’t set realistic expectations given our current status. A status which could and should be worse if not for Wenger too as it is Liverpool not us who should of formed the big 4 once the money came in.

      Final note there are two things that are true. 1st had the money not flowed in all over world football we would be on a par with Man Utd, Barca and Real financially by now. We would of won the PL multiple times in that time and likely even the CL once or twice. Wenger got very unlucky with his timing on the stadium move and it saddens me how few people realise the extent to which this is true. 2nd that handing the club Kronke was the biggest mistake ever! In light of the reality of the money in football the only way we would of or can compete more in the future is with a owner like Chelsea/City and not like we have.

      So yes by all means Kronke out but leave Wenger alone he really doesn’t deserve it. He has manged the club superbly and he can’t spend what we don’t have.

  2. I was really surprised how poorly they played at home. Spurs didn’t even score
    Anyway, we need to focus on ourselves. Also, Spurs and Liverpool are very good on paper and they have good managers so they can improve. Don’t judge them by one weekend. Also, Liverpool beat us 4-0. We can’t let that happen again

    Again we need to concentrate on ourselves, improve and we need to get up to the top 5 before thinking of the top 4.

    We have a perfect home win record 100%
    Our away record is a perfect 0%
    So we need to fix that at Chelsea

  3. I predict Liverpool will struggle to finish above the third position in the league, because they rely so much on quick tempo and fast counterattacks. They will struggle when facing ultra defensive teams if they keep playing like that and it seems there will be no Leicester’s luck this season.

    On the other hand, Tottenham still play with possession based football and they manage to keep almost all main players in their team. If they are patient enough, they will find their winning formula again.

    If Arsenal could beat Chelsea at the Stamford Bridge, it would be a massive boost for the players, the staffs and the fans. Arsenal could turn the negativity in the team into new motivation.

    To do that, Arsenal would need full support from the fans tomorrow at the stadium. We all can condemn the board and the staffs later.

  4. You know, there is a reason potti and klopp don’t get the stick Wenger does…

    Why you ask? Well those managers have had 1 or 2 seasons to get it right, Wenger on the other hand…

  5. Annoys me every time before we face Chelsea most think we will get smashed, even Arsenal fans. I believe we can match them at Stamford Bridge and leave with a respectable score line win, lose or draw. It starts by fielding the right players in their right positions.

    1. Funny thing is my friend is that we prob will get smashed .Its how things have panned out at arsenal over the last 10 years .you cannot expect fans to think any different .you say it annoys you but this is how our club treats its fans .you blame the fans but maybe you should be blaming something else ..Proper fans know the truth ,fair weather fans can do 1

  6. Arsenal fc is now relegated to top four team not competing for the tittle again after four matches,we fans need to improve our mentality and do away with this Wenger’s mentality, we can’t be celebrating top four all the time and round of 16 we are knock out by barca or Munich or Monaco……we need drastic change

  7. Chambers played for the youth side last night so I guess Wenger is going to continue throwing Holding out to the wolves. Its not doing anything for him or the team by playing him against a team like Chelsea while he’s severely out of form. Drop him and bring him back when we have easier run of games for him to build his confidence. And I’m very tired of seeing Monreal at Center Back. Why did we sell Gabby again?

    1. Welsh_Ramsey: Some people are never happy. First of all Wenger has tried to give Holding an opportunity to prove himself against easier teams (i.e. Stoke, Leicester and Koln) but each time Holding has been shocking. Where you blame Wenger and accuse him of throwing Holding to the wolves, I say Wenger gave him a chance but Holding blew it. You blame Wenger but fail to see that Holding has a personal responsibility to perform to an acceptable level.

      Then you moan about Chambers played for the youth side yesterday. To me this is another positive as it shows that Wenger is trying to bring him into the fold. It provides competition for places and if anyone needs another chance to prove themselves it is the likes of Wilshere and Chambers.

      You also ask the forlorn question “why did he sell Gabby?”. Well like the many other examples he sold him because one thing Wenger is guilty of is buying garbage and then showing too much faith in it …so he had to go. SMH

  8. Top four chances only can happen if we can beat top teams. One or two bad games from them doesn’t help.

    Look at Man C. I think it will wake you up from your royal slumber.

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