Arsenal predicted to finish 11th this season.
FiveThirtyEight have released their prediction for the final Premier League table this season – and it’s bad news for Arsenal.
See the graphic below as the Gunners are tipped to finish as low as 11th in the table, which would be our lowest finish since 1994/95.
Arsenal are currently 10th in the table, but this forecast has Southampton eventually overtaking us after their recent improvement in form.
Let’s be honest – 10th or 11th, it’s all pretty bad, and a club like ours really shouldn’t be anywhere near mid-table.
Of course, the season isn’t over yet, so let’s hope Mikel Arteta can lift this side enough to see them climb the table and prove doubters wrong between now and May.
Then again, Chelsea finished 10th in 2015/16 and took full advantage of having no European football to distract them the following year as they won the title comfortably.
While this prediction makes for grim reading, there’s not any need to get too carried away just yet.
You think Chelsea won the title that year because they had no European commitments? Very funny! One would think that teams who don’t play in Europe would perform better (in the domestic league) than those who do. Unfortunately, the exact opposite is the case. All good teams do well in both domestic and European competitions, sometimes winning the double.
You are completely wrong. Also, if you paid attention, you would see the author saying Chelsea ‘taking advantage’ and not that they won solely or even primarily due to not playing midweek.
Both Leicester as well as Chelsea have profited from not playing in Europe.
And it’s so utterly simple, any simpleton should be able to understand it:
Teams play better when you can play the same rested starting 11 throughout the season than when you either have to rotate too much or the players are more fatigued due to playing midweek.
Have you not seen how many times CL teams drop points after their midweek CL games vs the weeks when they did not have to play midweek??
I would bet you all the money I have that Leicester will not be finishing 3rd next year when Brenda has to rotate much more due to CL. No chance.
Agree, if you have a good team/squad, there is no difference but i would add more teams do well in both comps (Prem and Europe) that just one. Teams who regularly preside in Europe and the prem have big squads to cope and European football is a boost and a pleasing distraction for top players.
The squad under Emery finished just 2 points off third last term without the nine new players Arteta has this season. So 5th in the league and making the EL final is the minimum requirement. Anything less is an abject failure
I hope the prediction turns out to be wrong and Arsenal atleast make it to the EUL. Also winning the EUL will still take us into the CL. Up the Gunners!
I strongly believe a top six finish is very possible, liverpool is the only team in form at the moment. Arteta must drop lacazete and utilize Martineli, Auba and Pepe or better still drop Ozil and include the four in the starting line up, using laca in an advanced number 10 role.
better to go upfront with laca as no 10 role, pepe, auba, martenelli and see the tactics hopeful
That’s their opinion. We won’t be below 6th.
…yeah, these same folks predicted an 11 point victory by Clinton in the 2016 election. What we need is goals which lead to wins. The boys are moving in the right direction (only lost 1 since MA on board). Keep the faith.