The Run In: Will Arsenal make the top four?


The Run In: Will Arsenal make the top four?


By Jonny Bray
We're approaching the business end of the season.
Squeaky bum time, the run-in, the final frontier; whatever you call it, the next few weeks will have Arsenal fans across the country hot under the collar while waiting to see if Mikel Arteta's side can secure Champions League football.
At certain points during the 2021/22 campaign, the Gunners looked miles off the standard required to play in Europe's premium competition.
But the gaffer has done well to improve the defence while simultaneously bringing through one of the best young forwards lines in English football.
So, will Arsenal make the top four?
There is no better time to analyse their chances with ten games left of the season.

The chasing pack

Worryingly, Tottenham Hotspur sit just three points behind Arsenal in the Premier League table, although the Gunners do have a game in hand.
Our neighbours form is hit and miss, with morale-boosting wins often followed by crushing defeats.
Antonio Conte has worked wonders with an unbalanced and poorly performing set of players, and if it weren't for him, it's fair to say Tottenham would be in an even worse state.
So, despite several weaknesses in the squad and behind the scenes, Spurs are definitely still challengers for the final Top 4 spot.
Arsenal can also expect stiff competition from Manchester United who are four points behind the Gunners having played a game more.
They may be a mess as a club right now, but Arsenal fans would be fools to underestimate a side spearheaded by the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo.
If United can put a run of form together, then they have every chance of chasing the Gunners down.

Arsenal's form

After years of disappointing results and inconsistent form, Arsenal have finally got their act together and started to move in a positive direction.
Arteta has built an impressive back four unit from the ashes of a defence often labelled as calamitous.
The Gunners have conceded just 31 goals so far this season. As a result, they're on track to concede fewer goals than in any campaign since 2015/16, an impressive achievement for Arteta and his backroom staff.
With that solid defensive base, Arteta has experimented freely in midfield and up front, much to the delight of young stars like Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe.
The results are there for everyone to see.
Arsenal are currently on a run of six wins from seven games, with the only defeat in that time coming at the hands of Jürgen Klopp's title-chasing Liverpool.
Even in that 2-1 defeat, there was cause for optimism with the Gunners and Martinelli, in particular, putting in an impressive performance that had the Reds on the ropes.

Conclusion

Few Arsenal fans would have predicted it after seeing their side lose 2-0 to Brentford on the opening day, but the Gunners now appear the favourites to complete the top four.
United and Spurs both have issues beyond the football field, while their squads are unbalanced and out of form.
And London rivals West Ham have clearly been distracted by their adventure in the Europa League.
But the Gunners look like they finally have a long term plan, and if they do, qualifying for the Champions League could be the first step on the road back to the top of English football.
Photo Credit: Getty Images 

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