Arsenal: The top four is very, very possible

This season, Arsenal are looking to get back into the top four. And given the results and form of their rivals, that is very, very possible indeed.

As the Unai Emery rebuild at Arsenal picks up steam, entering its crucial second season in which real progress needs to be made after the foundations were set in an inconsistent first campaign, there is one crucial task for the Spaniard to complete: regain top-four status.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — The Big Unai Emery Debate

Such is the financial and status importance of the Champions League, if the Gunners harbour any hopes of eventually challenging for titles and trophies, they must first re-qualify for Europe’s elite competition, and that would ideally be done by finishing in the top four.

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This was the one, clear results-based aim of the upcoming season. No matter how much Emery and the club tried to avoid putting numbers or figures on what would constitute a successful season, everyone is quite aware of what that is, and what that would not be: a top-four finish.

Do Arsenal have the quality to finish in the top four? Well, after a promising summer transfer window, you could certainly make an argument that they do. But that is yet to be properly determined. Nevertheless, the primary reason where there is hope that Emery can lead his team back into the top four is the inability of their competitors.

Last Saturday’s loss to Liverpool showed just how far ahead the Merseysiders and Manchester City are. But while the top two positions are well beyond the Gunners at this stage, fourth — and even third — is most certainly not.

Four games into the new season, and neither Manchester United nor Chelsea have looked especially convincing. United have won one of their four games, which came on the opening weekend against Chelsea. Since then, they have lost to Crystal Palace and drawn with Southampton and Wolves.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have endured even worse results. On Saturday, they drew at home to Sheffield United after taking a two-goal first-half lead. They only just squeezed past Norwich City a week prior and drew with Leicester City before that. They have conceded a whopping nine goals in four games and are yet to earn a clean sheet.

Even Spurs, who are largely viewed as the third-best team in the league and are the Gunners’ opponent this weekend, have looked extremely sluggish thus far. They were fortunate to beat Aston Villa on the opening weekend, drew with Manchester City but were utterly dominated throughout, and then lost to Newcastle United, attacking creativity again undermining their efforts.

Arsenal may not be the perfect team. They may have flaws that seem difficult to overcome. But so do their rivals. This might be the season that a 60-point team earns a top-four finish. That, for Emery and his players, is very plausible indeed.