Can Arsenal qualify for the Champions League?



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Can Arsenal qualify for the Champions League?

By Tom Masters

Arsenal have been buoyed by a resurgence in recent weeks, going seven matches unbeaten, with five victories, after their troubled start to the Premier League season. 

The 3-1 victory over Tottenham and the 2-0 win over Leicester City in particular stand out as important victories for Mikel Arteta’s side, but the key question remains, can they make the Champions League this season? 

The dream is alive

 

Before the season it seemed impossible that Arsenal would make the top four, with Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United too strong, whilst sides like Tottenham, Leicester and West Ham would be rivalling them for the Europa League spots. 

 

However, after the opening ten matches, the Gunners find themselves level on points with Manchester United and ahead of both Spurs and Leicester. 

 

West Ham occupy that fourth Champions League spot at the moment and sit three points clear of the Gunners following their 4-1 thumping of Aston Villa last weekend. 

 

Arsenal face Watford this weekend, a side who have conceded their fair share of goals this season, but who have packed a punch in games such as the 5-2 win over Everton at Goodison Park. 

 

It is after this that the fixtures get more challenging, with games against Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester United, Everton and Southampton in the next five matches after the international break, before a vital clash with West Ham on December 15th. 

 

It is a fixture run like that that will help see if the Gunners are capable of making the top four, but it will heavily depend on the form of the other teams around them. 


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Who are the rivals?

 

Tottenham’s appointment of Antonio Conté will surely make them a more potent side, whilst Manchester United’s fixture run looks very favourable following the Manchester derby this weekend. 

 

You feel that if Conté can get the best of Harry Kane and Heung Min Son in the coming weeks and months, then Spurs will be a force to be reckoned with again, whilst United’s 3-0 win over Spurs last week suggests that a turn in fortunes is inevitable, with Cristiano Ronaldo starting to look ominous. 

 

Thus, for Arteta’s men to have a serious shot at the top four they may have to over-perform, looking at the squads that the Gunners’ rivals have, and the fixture runs to go with it. 

 

One thing that certainly is on Arsenal’s side is the fact that they do not have any European action to deal with in the week, with Tottenham busy on Thursday nights in the Europea Conference League and Manchester United currently occupied by the Champions League. 

 

That will certainly help, and the form of the Gunners is suggesting that a European finish is on the cards, whether it will be Champions League or Europa League, however, is to be seen. 

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