After Unai Emery’s two opening defeats as Arsenal manager, many pundits and even our own fans were writing off our chances of finishing in the Top Four this season, with most predicting a sixth place spot at best. But right now, after six straight League wins including a master class against Fulham last week, we have moved up to 4th spot ahead of Tottenham on goal difference.
We are only two points behind the Top trio of Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea, and are already five points clear of the imploding Man United side, so we are right back in the mix and if we can keep our winning run going we could even be challenging for the title. One man who thinks we are certain of Champions League football next season is the Gunners legend Robert Pires, who said: “For the moment I am very happy of course for the club because I am an ambassador for Arsenal but especially for Unai Emery because he’s a great manager,“
“He done well with Sevilla, he won some titles, especially with Paris Saint-Germain last season.
“And of course you know you need to improve every day but Arsenal actually are on a very good run, especially in the Premier League.
“Nine games, nine victories so I think they will finish in the top four, sure, 100 per cent.”
We are certainly looking good right now, but until we come up again one of the other Top Five teams, can we be certain that we will definitely make the Top Four? I think we can, if we keep on improving and keep everyone fit, I really believe we can win the title.
Just Believe!
Sam P
I like Pires’ optimism, but nothing is guaranteed, because some Arsenal players do not consistently perform well
Unless if they can get an excellent winger and another defender in January, then I’m confident about the top four
We have seen a slow start and then upward curve of performance on team as a whole, and this is going to get better.
Guaranteed? No!
Arsenal is never a bad team on general terms. The chance of top four will depend on keeping the team injury free, make hay while sun is shining, keep the stamina up for the whole season, improve setpieces goal scoring, get more players involved in goal-scoring.
The game will soon begin to heat up, fixtures get congested, so………it is nothing SURE, because they are still gelling, not there yet.
Care to tell the decent Goners on here, why , on the previous thread, you were so evil about Thierry Henry? ARE you a troll, or not? Posing as a Gooner when you hate our greatest ever player and have posted such nonsense is bound to make us suspicious. Care to come clean? Anyone else reading this, I suggest you turn back to that thread and read what this person said about HENRY. YOU WILL BE ANGRY WHEN YOU READ HIS NONSENSE.
Rich coming from you Jon.
You moan about half the current team and yet you moan at someone who moan about an ex player.
Hello kettle, I’m pot… ain’t you black.
=.=
Paranoi once about me once again Midkemma. You are like a one man vengeance committee. What is this weird obsession you have with me and why? I believe only jealousy of my greater intellect explains it. Unless you are some type of on line stalker. Are you?
Jon,
In a recent post you accused me of being untruthful to myself after I told you that Manchester United get preferential treatment before and after Champions League fixtures. Well I’ll point it out to you for the second time and see if this time I get a response.
Chelsea away Sat 12-30
Juventus midweek Champions League
Bournemouth home Sun 4-00
Everton away Sat 12-30
Juventus midweek Champions League
Man City home Sun 4-00
Now you’re probably going to say, coincidental but the difference with me and you on this subject is simple, I study the fixtures like I study referee behaviour, you don’t. If you do as I told you, ie, study Manchester United fixtures you’ll find this is a regular occurrence. Again I repeat, “I rest my case”
Just like to add Jon, Manchester United get preferential treatment in every aspect of the Premier League and this has been evident ever since Sky Sports took over the running of televised football. Sky Sports also tried to buy Manchester United in the nineties, a move that was thwarted by the Football Association. They’ve also been proven to be more influential along with the FA and PGMOL than Sir Alex Ferguson in recognition of the success achieved by the club in his period as manager to the detriment of Arsenal Football Club who were denied at least three more Premier league titles than they’d already achieved.
It is way too early to predict, how we will finish.
But we can be happy, we, at the moment, look like being on the right track, and probably doing better than what most would have betted on.
If we keep improving, then who knows?
But there is a long way to go.
Top 4 yes.Premiere League winners no.We simply do not have the defence to win the League.Lets be fair to Emery because he inherited a squad with only Monreal as a consistent performer at the level required to challenge for the title and even Nacho would not get into the side ahead of any LB in our rivals teams.Emery had a very restricted budget but concentrated his spending where we needed it most in CDM and CB.Torreira and Guendouzi are long term with Sokritis a 1-2season stop gap.But Emery has achieved results and got us into the very early mix.November and December will give us the indications of where we will be bit if he gets a top 4 finish with our current defenders then to me he has achieved his initial target and sets the team up for moving forwards over the next 2-3 seasons.He is looking like the correct Manager to take the Club forward but it’s ridiculous to expect miracles.Wenger left the squad too weak at the back and in Central Midfield.
Yes Phil , we all noticed how disastrously weak he left our defence. Over the whole last decade. But he never even seriously TRIED to fix the defence and that is the main reason I wanted him sacked a decade ago and ever since. Top four this season is a definite possibility , no more than that , in reality land. Both Spuds and United have better teams and squads than us, esp in defence, and IF we make it , it is down to Emerys brilliance mostly.
I question the perspective of Arsenals defense.
When Torreira plays then we do not concede that many, admittingly we haven’t played City or Chelsea since Torreira started to get game time…
Mustafi has left me pulling my hair out a LOT but enlarge I have defended Arsenals defenders as they have been left exposed by tactics and poor DM, Xhaka was never a DM.
Sokratis and Torreira are the differences, Sokratis is growing on my but I think Kos has performed admirably before he joined… Just let down by a lack of a DM.
I will point to when Cazorla was fit and we had a CM who made Coquelin tick, our last DM prior to Torreira. Think back to Mustafi and when he joined, when Cazorla was easing the pressure off our CBs by being able to move the ball out of our own half… Look how well we did as a team, defensively as well.
Wenger got in some top defenders… he ruined them in the end though… Apart from Kos but even he could have been better if GGraham had coached him.
Id it really our defense? Yes they look shakey at times but that isn’t as often when we have a true DM on the field.
Was it our def or lack of DM????
Far too early to conclude anything. Especially the guarantee of a top 4 when there is so much competition for it.
Spot on Phil.
Defence or no defence, Arsenal are winning in the PL and are currently on a 6 game winning run which has taken them to the 4th spot in the table at the end of week 8 matches. The sign is good for Arsenal to continue on their winning run winning matches both in the PL and in the Cup games after the international break is over. Even the PL Arsenal vs Liverpool match being viewed in some quarters as a big test that will prove if Arsenal have top 4th place finish and the Title win credentials this season will be passed with flying colours by Arsenal when they play host to Liverpool in early November.
If the opportunity to finish in the top 4th which of course includes finishing 1st, 2nd & 3rd is increasingly becoming a successful mission for Arsenal to pursue as it’s currently looking. And if Arsenal see the opportunity to win the Title flying across their face, should they seize the opportunity and win the Title or ignore it to fly away and confine themselves to finish 4th in the table as some Gooners and others are thinking that’s the only thing in the PL that befits them this season?
Liv will be a proper test. They’ve played against some good sides and not lost, Spu, Manc, Che. I think its fair to say that both sides will create allot of chances. We need to be more careful than usual, if we give the sort of chances away that we gave out to others, scary. With Laca and Auba now in the side I’d say Liv might be saying something similar to themselves. Looking forward to the next game though cause we need to keep the form going.
If I understood a single word you have written I might reply.So what exactly are you saying?Are we going to win the Title or not?Are we going to finish in the Top 4?Ate we going to beat Liverpool?
If Arsenal are able to nick some points against
the top 5 sides @ home and maintain there
impressive display on the road against teams
they SHOULD beat than a top 4 finish is very attainable. There will be some moments of
adversity but I trust that Emery will have the
boys ready and willing to scrap for every
precious EPL point.
A touch off topic but for those Arsenal fans
screaming for an ideal Xhaka replacement take
a minute and enjoy Ibrahim Sangare. The young
lad from the Ivory Coast currently applies his
trade as a DM/B2B midfielder for Toulose in
Ligue 1. Watching just a few minutes of highlights,
especially against Monaco the young man possesses the size, power, pace, and technical acumen to partner LT in the middle of the Arsenal midfielder for years to come. He reminds me of
a young version of Yaya Toure with his ability at
times to effortlessly glide by opposing players
with power and pace, other moments he simply dances with the ball around multiple players in the middle of the pitch. He also is a terrific passer of
the ball at such a young age and quite proficient
at transitioning from defense to offense
in the blink of an eye. I LOVE THIS KIDS ABILITY!!
At 20yrs of age and with a transfermarket value
of £7M, Arsenal would be committing legalized
larcenry if they acquire his services in Jan.
Get it done Sven and Emery!!
Only guarantees in life are death and taxes.
Emery has only been here a short time, but is beginning to make his mark on the club and players. The mentality is diferent, more direct in the attack most times, and more defending from the forward players.
Iwobi seems to be becoming the player we had hoped he would be, and I’m happy as a fan and happy for him.
Torreria seems to be good as advertised since his introduction, and Xhaka especially seems to be benefiting from Torreria’s presence in midfield.
Lot of season left, but challenging for top 4 is a genuine possibility. However challenging for title isn’t likely to me because our defense is still suspect, and lack of a true winger and a backup will cost us.
Still pleased by our performances, doing better than i thought coming in to the season
with unai anything is possible, that guy has a winning mentality,
Arsenal’s problem under Wenger was that too many players felt entitled and thought all they had to do to win a match was to show up!
Under Emery, the team has been treated as underdogs and are scraping victories (minus Fulham) against small teams. This and the new manager effect has made most of the players sit up and fight for the shirt.
The less the talk of titles, the better.
With Wenger, we knew what was going to happen: no league title, and not even a league challenge, so I guess we’re in the dark a little with Emery. I personally think it’ll still be very difficult to even qualify for the CL, let alone winning the league, but if we continue our form…who knows? I am still giving Emery a free season, so it doesn’t matter where we finish.
Everyone need to be focused on the league both the team and supporters then truly it will surely come. We need to stop the blame game let’s be behind the team even those players we hate. For those who think about the big game issue we’re at am advantage because two of the big teams Chelsea and Man city are done the remainder we have hope. I can see UE can do it. Let’s really beat the small team. The league is for Arsenal.
Am I going mad or something this afternoon?So you say City and Chelsea are the two best teams(if I understand you correctly)but then say if we beat the small teams the League is for Arsenal.So I take it you mean Arsenal willlose to City and Chelsea (as we have already) but if we beat all the small teams we will win the League.So Chelsea and City will w against Arsenal but lose to all the small teams.
Ok I see it now so I’m off to the bookies
You really do make me laugh Phil ??
Phil, It is hard for someone whose first language is clearly not English to make complete sense. He is just being very optimistic. Unrealistically so in my view.
I read today that Lacazette has claimed that supporters in England are more like spectators and not supporters…
I see you posting and I find it hard to disagree with him.
Still showing your pathetic jealousy of me I see.
Really?
I read “most” of your posts (not all as I do get bored quite easily) and am often left wondering if you yourself are an Arsenal fan.Forget the fact that I go to 99% of games Home,Away &Europe every season.That alone will not classify me as a Supporter.The fact I have been the same for the last decade also.Just because I have been a season ticket holder since 1967 at 11 years old means nothing.The fact I have seen Arsenal in EVERY Final they have played in my lifetime including the Away leg in Brussels against Anderlect in 1970 age 13 (obviously missed school the next day) again means nothing.
I do actually read most of the posts submitted on this site.I think it’s fair to say you get to judge the posters opinions,their views and their relevance.You get to identify their likes and dislikes.Players they do not want and others they would rate higher than others.I find most comments interesting and the writers genuine supporters with thoughts and ideas of the Club different from my own.
And then we have you………………..
Obviously that was intended to Midkemma
Two of the big teams.
Not the only two big teams.
To me this sounds(well, reads) like Ngaa recognises that at least one other team is big in his opinion, other than Arsenal… as we don’t face ourselves.
If I am to project into the future based on the results of the games so far, Arsenal are top 4/title challengers. However, if I am to project into the future based on the quality of performance so far, Arsenal are only good to finish between 8th and 6th. We have only had one good game, against Fulham. We were dominated by City at home and Chelsea away (except a 10 -15 minute period of a flurry of chances); dominated at home by a wasteful Watford and Everton; and unconvincing against Westham, Cardiff, and Newcastle.
The quality of performances haven’t inspired much confidence but the results do. Only time will tell whether the performance will continue to produce the current results or whether the results will start to mirror the current quality of performance, or if the quality of performance itself will become like current results.
Time will tell.
I think we should drop the title talk, we haven’t earned the right.
As for the top four, we need to keep plugging away hopefully beating enough teams that when we do face some top six sides we can draw and still be placed well or even losing a couple won’t be too bad if we can keep doing the sort of stuff we’re doing right now.
Merson at it again, only this time he’s aimed it in the right direction by saying Hazard’s the best player in the league right now but he goes missing for six months at a time. Then mentioned the season he helped get Mourinho sacked along with last seasons poor showing. That’s more like it Merse.
I dare to imagine what Merson was snorting for the Six months Hazard goes missing in a season.He is the best player in the League and has been for the last 5-6 years
Most naturally gifted, yes probably. But to be the best , you have to perform regularly all season. In the season MAUREEN WAS SACKED, THREE SEASONS AGO, Hazard disappeared completely, like most of his teammates too. Not that great last season either, was he!
None of us is sure where any team will finish at the end of the season. All the predictions are just sheer guess work which often goes well wide of the mark. That said, I take exception to some remarks like Arsenal cannot win EPL and the oft quoted phrase of Arsenal’s poor defence. I don’t think anybody would have imagined that Arsenal would be where it is right now after a very disastrous start against Man City and an unfortunate loss to Chelsea. Arsenal’s current position is a big indicator of Unai Emery’s coaching tactics. My well reasoned feeling is that Arsenal will keep improving. Will it win EPL or finish in top four? My reply here is a realistic I don’t know but anything is possible. No team is ordained to win EPL. However what I can say from my analysis of the situation is that Arsenal will be in the mix.
David, you say you are realistic in saying “I don’t know” and on finishing in top four, I agree with you. It is a definite possibility. But if you are REALLY realistic you will surely know we cannot win the title this season. True realists know this very well.
My opinion hasn’t changed yet.
Nothing is guaranteed and Spurs, Liverpool, City and Chelsea are favourites to finish in the Top 4.
We can do it though. it’s not impossible
A 9 match winning streak in all tournaments is definitely a good start.
@Admin
Can you make us vote if arsenal can win the league or not?
Because people think arsenal fans in most of the site get carried away with our recent wins
I have read many times that champions will find a way to get the points even while playing poorly.
I know we haven’t got EmeryBall fine tuned yet but we are plugging away and getting the points.
The first two games was 5 goals conceded, 6 EPL games afterwards and we have let in an extra 4, this is an improvement.
Torreira has got more gametime under his belt and playing more often now, when he plays then we look a lot more solid at the back, Guendouzi has offered a lot of promise but Torreira is the better player and it has clearly shown.
We may or may not get top 4, we have only played 2 big teams and well, we have hurdles to overcome and that isn’t being ignored when I say we can push for the title.
LCFC won it and who expected them too huh?
They worked hard though and that is what we will need to do, work hard all season long.
EPL isn’t totally unrealistic, it may be hard to imagine currently but if this winning streak continues then how long before others start saying we could win it?
Lets keep doing it bit by bit, game after game and we will do it the leicester city-way-of-winning-the-league kind of.