Why Arsenal missing out on top four isn’t the end of the world

Arsenal suffered another tough defeat on Saturday to Brighton, failing to bounce back after Monday night’s shock against Crystal Palace earlier in the week. This is supremely disappointing and two straight losses puts a significant dent into Arsenal’s top four hopes.

Let’s do something that is hard to do as fans sometimes, especially after losing matches you shouldn’t have: let’s take a step back and look at the big picture for Arsenal and the rest of the season.

These losses sucked, but Arsenal continues to be very much in the hunt for the top four, only three points behind Spurs with a game in hand still. Spurs are playing well but just as every match is no guarantee for Arsenal, the same goes for Spurs who have also struggled for consistency at times this season.

But let’s go to the dark side for a minute and let’s say that Spurs do find that consistency and they finish in the top four, with us behind in 5th. Is this the worst-case scenario?

After the 2-1 defeat to Brighton Arsenal could miss out on the Premier League top four, but that won’t be the end of the world

I know, I know; finishing below Spurs and missing out on the Champions League does sound like a nightmare right now, and it’s not something I’m crazy about seeing either. Although it would suck as fans for as long as we have waited to be back into the Champions League to fall short again, and to our biggest rivals no less, there can still be a silver lining.

Spurs and Arsenal are in very different situations and views of the future. Tottenham are very clearly in ‘win-now’ mode. They have a manager that has only been at a job for longer than two years once in his career (2011-2014 with Juventus), and an aging core led by Harry Kane who very publicly wanted out of the club last summer. They must win now because of how they are set up.

Arsenal, however, has committed to a long-term project with a young and exciting manager with a plethora of future stars in the lineup that want to make sure the club succeeds in the longer term, not just this season. So, the two clubs are in very different positions both now and for later when it comes to this top four race.

How many Arsenal fans predicted us to be in the top four race or in this position in August? Not many, I imagine. How many predicted us to be where we are after we lost the first three matches of the season? Probably even less. How many predicted it before the season even began?

Arsenal has the youngest squad in the Premier League and has clearly shown our favorite word, “progress”, this season.

Many will be disappointed when we were so close if we don’t qualify and the fact that we ‘could’ have bolstered our squad in January. However, was that possible?

Could Arsenal have done anything differently in the winter window?

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