Coveted top four place is Arsenal’s to lose this season

Arsenal are now favorites for a Champions League spot. That is something that just three games into the new Premier League season was thought to be impossible: zero points, three losses, and no goals scored. The world was caving in.

Fast forward six months and the north London club is the favorite to take a coveted top four spot. How did this even happen? For one, Mikel Arteta has the team playing exciting football, and their resilience has helped them grind out wins.

Admittedly, one of the bigger reasons is that the teams around them in Manchester United, West Ham, and Tottenham are all stumbling. Also worth noting, of course, is that the Gunners have games in hand. Which is crucial.

The Hammers have played three more Premier League matches than Arsenal and are only two points clear in fourth; Manchester United has played two extra games and is only a point above the Gunners; Tottenham has played the same number of games but are three points, and considerable goal difference, behind their north London rivals.

The coveted top four place in the Premier League is Arsenal’s to lose this season after their resurgence under Mikel Arteta

This is perhaps the best position the club has been in for the last three years. Even with 16 matches still left to play. With only the league to focus on and some of the teams around them having European football to contend with, the Gunners are in the driving seat to land a top four spot.

However, as we have seen in previous years when opportunities present themselves, Arsenal falls flat. Faced against teams they are expected to beat they so often end up losing or barely managing a draw. This year, though, something does feel a little different. There is a resolve within the squad not to be dragged down. A unity, as Arteta so often labels it. There have been several chances for Arsenal to wilt under pressure this season, and they have objected.

The last game against Wolves is a perfect example of how far the team has come from a defensive standpoint. Facing a barrage of crosses from Wolves, the Gunners rearguard stood firm as they often have this season.

The defensive steel is going to be what is needed for the remainder of the league campaign. With other teams faltering around them, against Brentford there is another chance for Arteta’s side to stamp its authority on the European places.

Depending on how Manchester United fare against Brighton, if Arsenal manages to secure three points over the Bees, they will jump into fourth place on the table and have games in hand as well as a points advantage.

Just the fact that Arsenal is in this position is remarkable, but now that they are, the chance must be taken. The club cannot afford to have no European football again next season; the Champions League obviously being the pinnacle. With no other competitions to participate in, the league has the team’s full attention.

That in itself brings pressure as the Gunners are expected to perform each game given they only play once a week now. With how the team has played recently, there is no reason to suggest they will not outlast West Ham, United, Tottenham, and perhaps Wolves, in the race for a top four spot.

Something that felt unattainable early in the season is now a real possibility and it is something that the club has to get right. It is all laid out in front of them. They know what they must do and they have the players and the manager to do it.

However, as we have seen, having the players and manager does not guarantee success. With 22 games gone in the season, Arsenal is in a 16-game sprint for a Champions League spot and at the time of writing, it feels like theirs to lose.

Given their previous history, that is a scary proposition for the club’s long-suffering fans.