There is one thing that Tottenham, Chelsea, Man Utd and Arsenal have in common this season and that is that none of them has shown the required bottle to claim a Champions League place.
Those teams, Arsenal included I am ashamed to say, have made this the most ridiculous top-four race in Premier League history.
Let’s look at the points total for each team over their last four games respectively where a maximum of 12 points could have been achieved.
Arsenal 3 points
Tottenham 6 points
Man Utd 4 points
Chelsea 5 points
Now, as things stand today 73 points are enough to secure Champions League football next season and any one of those four teams would have secured qualifications if they would have won their last four games.
The fact that we lose three games in a row against non-top-six teams, that Tottenham loses at home to West Ham, that Man Utd lose 4-0 to Everton and Chelsea draw at home with Burnley tells you all you need to know about the ineptness of the teams fighting for those elusive qualification spots.
I know this is inaccurate but the perception is that none of them wants Champions League football and the Europa League looks the more attractive proposition, they are certainly playing as if that was the case.
Of course, the biggest bottlers have been us, we have squandered a golden opportunity to have already qualified for the Champions League and have the luxury of resting players ahead of the Europa League semi-finals.
But we are not the only ones, Tottenham are close to hanging on to their Totteringham title, they would have secured Champions League football this weekend with a home win over West Ham, instead they now have to navigate two Champions League semi-finals with an away match at Bournemouth sandwiched in the middle and that will not be an easy game.
Man Utd and Chelsea had it slightly harder and yet have done better than us, they at least had top-six opponents over the last four games but even so, Chelsea would be just one win away from qualifying if they could have beaten Burnley at Stamford Bridge.
I could go on but you get the picture, Tottenham, Chelsea, Man Utd and us have made the race for the top-four both exciting and an embarrassing joke.
That’s funny 4 clubs fighting for qualifications why other 2 fighting for title
Personally I dont care about how bad or inconsistent the other teams are.
My biggest concern is when you look at the players on the bench and realise how bad the situation has become since the reign of the kroenke’s started.
Emery is not suited to Arsenal but replacing him would make little or no difference with Kroenke pulling the strings and anyway what sane person would want the job? Arsenal has become a very expensive pub team.
I reckon Chelsea as the most potential candidate for the 4th position, because they have several dangerous wingers at their disposal. They got halted because Hazard’s energy seemed to diminish
Arsenal are practically less threatening in the last few games. Aubameyang, Lacazette, Ozil, Mkhitaryan and Iwobi cannot or don’t have the guts to offer penetrations and their creativity are miserable as well
I’m incredulous at Arsenal’s reluctance to get a high quality specialist winger and chose to get a jack-of-all-trades in Suarez instead. If they still have common sense, they would get at least two wingers in the summer
Why can’t their dangerous wingers did for them in the last two matches. They are as shit as us. Including Spurs and Manu. Anyway who care about the others. Our coach has shown he has little to do with this bunch. No excuse of them being Wenger squad, can they even be called that. They are an Arsenal squad and Emery players now and if after 5 matches he can’t fix the problem in our team, he should question himself as I and himself believe he can do better. But right now he is borrowing game plan from Wenger play book. Using the players the same Wenger used them, the same shadow marking, the same pass, pass and pass. Watford, Everton, CP, wolves and Leicester squad are not better than ours. I will never believe that crap. If they are they should all be above us.
It’s obvious that City and Liverpuds are way, way ahead of the following top 4 chasers. With the present squad Arsenal will never, ever challenge for the title. It’s plain to be seen that the casual, non agresive attitude that Wenger installed in his purchases is still raging within the team of today. If you look at our results against Chelsea, Spuds, UTD and Liverpuds we took points off them , but it’s against lower placed teams we flounder and cannot dominated and that is why we, with this present squad, will never, never challenge for the title.
Do you know how many dross in Liverpool this team. Your statement is true and it is has more to do with coaches those team have more than their players, especially in Liverpool case. Do you think Lallana, Origi, Sturbridge, Henderson, Lovren, Kaita, Firmino, Ox will make any difference in this Arsenal team. Their coaches style of play, mentality and demand makes their squad. Emery lost something somewhere along the line with our team and that is the difference between our earlier form in the season and now.
Arsenal FC is an embarrassment to the memories of the players of the invincible era. They are clueless. Top 4, they will never see with these kind of performances.
Maybe, just maybe, the teams outside the top six are no longer paying too much respect to the so called elite!
I suppose you assume footballers don’t get tired, it doesn’t matter how many games they’ve got in their legs. We’ve seen it every year, performances fall off towards the end of the season, especially if you’ve got a European campaign in your legs. Its no surprise both Leicester and Chelsea have won the league while not playing in Europe. Its easier of course if you have effectively two first teams like City, but no one else actually has that.
Looks like it could go down to the very last day of the season, not only who will finish 4th but even who could finish 3rd. Instead of being the “most embarrassing race for a top 4 place”, it could turn out to be the most exciting. Depends if your glass is half full or half empty………..
Very good point jod.Watford, Crystal Palace, Wolves and Leicester looked a lot fitter than our players who have run out of gas.
not 1 not 1 arsenal player would get on man citys bench….
Except Lichsteiner and Iwobi they would be guaranteed starters ?
How is this funny bro?? ??♂️
Europa League campaigns affects teams league form more than the champions League does it’s not an excuse for some of our poor performances but statistics show that! Man utd and Liverpool also struggled with league form during they’re Europa League adventures! Even Burnley who finished 7th last season struggled with form after exiting the Europa League and also Everton last season.. but we’re 2 games away from the final now and we should give everything to win this competition. Won’t be easy but we can do it! Need a big performance on Thursday… COYG ? ?
We need a mahoosive performance, Kev!! Aren’t Valencia struggling a bit too? Be very interesting!
I don’t know Sue I thought they were doing ok ? at least it’s not Atletico! I knew we wouldn’t get past them.
I just looked.. they’ve lost their last 2… yes at least no Griezmann, but instead we have the gorgeous Gabriel ??
People under the stairs ? and Atleticos mean defence
? so before Thursday.. I hope we see some decent football, & by decent, I mean Ajax & Barca winning!
Miedema won POTY ?
Sue I had to Google miedema lol I don’t follow Arsenal women so I had no idea ? you could be in for a real treat ?
She scored a screamer earlier! Anything to do with Arsenal & I’m there Kev… have to say though I prefer watching the men (for obvious reasons!) but I’m really glad for the women – what a season they’ve had ?
Well Kev, I’ve had a raging headache since 1.45 (I wonder why ?) Arsenal mentally exhaust me!! So I’m going to say goodnight.. sleep well, but in a decent position (think of your neck!) no bad dreams about our defence hey?! ??? omg I found a fishing rod (AA!) ??
Haha ain’t nothing wrong with that Sue ?? well at least they had a good season ? still in pain and have nothing but deepheat and that’s useless ? bloody nightmare you mean ? haha fish on ?? goodnight Sue and you sleep well too ????
ZLoosing faith in Emery.
We have lost the threat up front.
Our defence is worse than last year.
As a coach I thought he could improve the team (I know the whole team are poor) but a top coach should be able to improve them a little.
Please tell me where u see the improvement ….
Can we trust Emery with rebuilding.
Apart from Leno how many of his signings have impressed this season.
Please don’t say Torerra!!!
Hard to believe,is not over yet….Watford or ( more likely)Leicester to draw ( or win) against Chelsea and we are equal on points.Which means is goal difference.Next game we need a lot of goals and a win in last game.That can be epic after so many losses.Troy Deaney,where u at?Vardy?Come on,man!
I see no way that the enormous gap between the top two teams and the rest is going to close, in the foreseeable future. The reason is that those top two are properly run. Spurs are too but are effectively broke with the stadium draining their resources for years to come. United, Chelsea and us are run by renegade owners with various reasons why all their or our short term futures look unlikely to be much better. Without a professional and passionate owner at the very top, NO club can really hope to compete for the title ever again. Those reactionary fools who slate Emery and think HE is the problem are too daft and unthinking to realise WHERE the REAL problem lies . With Kroenke! Obvious to those of us who have brains! A great shame so many who claim fandom do not have sufficient brains! I tell you now, while Kroenke owns Arsenal we will never again win the title! Perspective, as ever from me. All the great teams in Europe have owners who care passionately for success. Ours does not. Fact and tragedy too!
Well said foxy, I totally agree.
Your likes are the reason this grumpy, arrogant, self-absorbing dude is all over this site masturbating his ego and abusing others who do not share in his delusion.
Don’t let us deceive ourselves. It is either Emery is a poor man Mourinho, a bad coach or a confused man. Every coach will be rubbing their palms for the 3 points Emery will give them with way he set up his team. He set his team up the same way in our last 4 matches that gave us 3 points out of 12 and he did the same today. All Watford had to do is looked up the way Everton beat us and out played us with 10 men. Wolves did same, CP did the same and now Leicester. He wants his players to hold on to the ball and controlling the game when it is obvious the opponent are making it difficult to do. This how Wenger set up his team too in most of his barren period. This with stupid shadow marking that gave opponent players the ample time to pick out their teammates. The acre of space will give to opponent players is criminal. We are very poor with marking, we hold on to ball unnecessarily even in dangerous position. You will never see City players do this. They play one touch football. You will see them hold to mostly in opponent box try to force them to make error or draw a foul for penalty. With every team playing pressing football now holding on to ball is dangerous and can only be nullified with one-two football. I’m not a coach but I watch most City games and this is how they despite having players that are very good with ball at their feet. Emery is doing most of what got Our greatest manager out of our club and he need to drop them if he wants to succeed.
Absolute nonsense! Think properly!
The person that need to think properly is you and Emery. I have eyes and I can see despite different formations he set up his team the same way. I don’t even know what our game plan is. Imagine we will go a half of the game and not register a shot at goal. I don’t knowhow that is difficult for you to figure out. I’m not Emery out or whatever you call Jah son but we played the same way in the last 5 games the way we played in Wenger last 2 seasons, sideways passes, backwards passes, no fight, no purpose, no…and whose fault is that. I may not have enough brain cells like you but I do have eyes.
JF-I believe these past 3 results show just how much Emery has over achieved this season with the players he had at his disposal when he took over.The way I am going to look at this is that if the Manager got us as far as this with THAT SQUAD OF PLAYERS then what would he be able to do with better players?
It’s very easy to have these knee jerk reactions to FOUR BAD PERFORMANCES ON THE TROT (including Watford where we were second best throughout against TEN MEN) but I’m trying to take the positives.
Emery needs to learn that EVERY GAME in the premiership is tough.He needs to learn from his mistakes in regards to the lineups he has put out.And he needs to know the MAJORITY OF SUPPORTERS recognise the mammoth task he has of rebuilding this squad of players.
Heartwarming comments Phil as ausual for you. I never mind-in fact look forward to debating with those who have brains but may differ from me, that is life . But the many total idiots who blame Emery for not being able to make dreadful defneders into good ones is deeply depressing. Such as Mustafi needs help, in thr form of a miracle from Jesus Christ, to make him a good defender. The blame for Mustafi being here is on Wenger and Gazidis, not Emery. Same applies to all the other hopeless defenders brought in under Wenger, save only Lichtsteiner, who is now sidelined thank God!
Having a brain and a sense of fairness and perspective I know full well that we are still suffering from Wengers total inability to recognise a half decent CB and get him here. Kos was bought in 2009 (or 2010) and since then , not a single CB who has not been useless.
With the useless and harmful Kroenke holding us back Emery has done near miracles to even get us this close to top four, with still a theoretical chance, this late in the season. The depleted and injury reduced squad has finally run out of committment and is running on near empty fuel . THAT IS OBVIOUS but still the idiots like jah son, mobella and many others too prefer to blame the man who has got us as far as he has, given the trash defence he has had to work with. I refuse to mince words; it is not how I choose to live my life and I WILL ALWAYS SAY IT EXACTLY AS I SEE IT. I FIND THE HUGE AMOUNT OF BRAINLESS TWERPS ON SOCIAL MEDIA HARD TO STOMACH PHIL!
Many of them cannot think at all , they merely react in the heat and disappointment of the moment. If you can’t stand being disappointed and frustaratyed then don’t be a football fan at all I say! Imagine how choked, even though proud, either City or Liverpool fans will be when coming second this year!
The real problem they have is that most of them on here are young and are snowflakes , brought up to expect , instantly , all they want and wish. They have nevere learned that life is hard and that we all need toughness. They sit there, fuming at their keyboards, spewing their toxic frustrations out and wrongly blaming the innocent person. Idiots!
All I can ever blame Emery for is a possible naivety in taking the job at all, while Kroenke owns us. He must know and also have known a year ago, that by comparison to the top teams he has both hands firmly tied behind his back by THE OWNER, HIS PREDECESSOR and a series of impossible to change non defenders posing as Arsenal level “defenders”. Any real improvement will clearly take some considerable time and several windows . He is charged with combatting bombs with just water pistols. THAT IS REALITY!
What triggered Mr Arrogant is not what you said about Emery but this line “Our greatest manager”. He has a psychosis that the mention of that triggers.
TH14- TW14. As you have a problem facing up to my intellect but want to challenge what I say, then why hide behind other peoples comments and reply to them? Have the guts you lack and reply DIRECTLY to me instead and then you will quickly find I will make verbal mincemeat of you sonny! I also see how you choose to hide behind initials on your profile as you are too chicken to put your real name to your stupid childish comments. I stand by all my comments and have the guts to use my real name. Unlike some, sonny, I have nothing to hide! I also do not need to use filth, being an adult,, though you clearly need to when answering.
I am not going to comment on yet another dismal performance. Instead I send my congratulations to the Arsenal Women who have been brilliant all season and fully deserve the WSL title. They totally dominated Brighton and not a single player ‘bottled’ what was a hugely important match which they won in style. The manager, Joe Montemurro, has done a great job in the relatively short time he has been there and deserves a lot of credit. Maybe their success will rub off on the men??
I have to agree with Wrighty on this one, This team would definitely get embarrassed in the CL, they are just not good enough players , I would give exception to only three people,Laccazette aubamayang and Leno, the rest are just not good enough, the iast three performances have been a shambles, I like Emery but the man need’ s help in the way of good quality signings and this joke of a board of directors and money grabbing owner. Sorry but I can only see more of these performances from this lot there is no leadership, a lack of fight and quality or motivation, if the chance of playing in the CL is not enough to lift them then nothing will.
“Kroenke out”