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.”