Nigel Winterburn has enjoyed Arsenal’s resurgence in the last month and he thinks the Gunners can still make the top four.
After winning the FA Cup last season, Arsenal bolstered their squad in the summer with hopes of ending this campaign in a Champions League spot.
The Gunners had been so poor that there were talks of them getting relegated towards the end of last year.
They have now become one of the in-form teams in the league, and they will even challenge for the top four if they continue their current run of form, starting with another win against Manchester United.
Winterburn says that there has been a real mentality shift at Arsenal and fans can now look up instead of looking down like a few weeks ago.
This has been an unpredictable league season with Arsenal now just seven points off the top four.
He reckons that if they keep performing like they are doing now, then we can talk about a return to the Champions League.
Winterburn said as quoted by Sun Sports: “People will disagree with this, but in my opinion, I feel it is important that Mikel Arteta ensures Arsenal are in a European place next season.
“At the start of the season, he probably would have been hoping to challenge for the Champions League.
“But, if you’re not in the Champions League, the club will demand that they’re needing to be in the Europa League.
“This has just been such a crazy season. Arsenal were in such poor form for a long period of games, and suddenly, they’ve won five and drawn once.
“You look at the table and see every other team slipping up, and suddenly we’re only five points away from the Champions League places.
“Yes, we have played a couple more games than some of the teams around us, but there has been a real mentality switch at the club, and rather than looking down, you’re looking up and thinking positively.
“Arsenal have given themselves an uphill battle with the early losses in this campaign, but it might not be beyond them to get a Champions League place, particularly this season.
“Maybe therefore they’re making so many changes in the FA Cup with European ambitions in mind.”
it’s understandable that he would suggest the potential importance of European football for Arteta next season, as his ability to recruit properly could be closely tied to this achievement, but unless we’re playing mid-week and not Thursday, it might be in our best interest to focus on the EPL, slim down our roster and develop a true Best 11, playing every single League game…long-term goals over short-term noise
I’ve happiLy backed us for 4th or better but I suppose I’m not a pro better .
But I am very good at maths and it’s definitely higher than 1% that we get there .
If we get the 3 points tomorrow the team will get a massive boost in confidence and I see no reason why we shouldn’t be talking of top 4
😂😂
👍you get me Rory 😂
As someone who looks closely into all relevant factors concerning not only us but all our rivals for fourth place, I conclude that we have virtually no serious chance at all. Top six is also very unlikely.
We are simply too far back and IF(AND I USUALLY DON’T LIKE “IF’S”) we had only won both home games against Wolves and Burnley, we would have another and key, 6 points. But we have NOT got them and THAT, at this stage, makes a crucial difference.
We HAVE SEVERAL GOOD TEAMS TO OVERTAKE AND STAY IN FRONT OF TO REACH TOP FOUR AND I SAY IT IS OUT OF REACH.
So sorry Nigel, I luv ya and thought you a top player and top bloke too but as a bettor, I will back my skills against yours.
I am reading yours with some amount of depression, perhaps i Just dont want to see and or believe the truth, what is holding me up a little bit, is that, yeah all you are saying is a possibility but for me with fotball, i will not announce the absolute truth before the end of the season or before a practically impossible Mathematics point is reach, because i also have reason to believe that the deep that MU experience during the start and that of Arsenal 6 matches ago could be experience by any other team competing with us that spot. Because i have seen LC wining the grand thing and Just this week saw a Botten table team beat in an away match one of the teams occupaying one of the spots one believes it is impossible for us to get to. The little i learned from football is that you never know and making a conclution means, you just believe. I want to hang on to my “you never know” untill it is practically impossible. One thing is real here, if any one should ask you Who do you want to win this debate at the end of the season, i have no doubt you will want “you never know” to win.