What Arsenal need to finish in the top four above Tottenham

Talk of a top four finish has been temporarily placed on hold. Arsenal had that elusive spot well within their sights, then three consecutive Premier League defeats happened ahead of a trip to Stamford Bridge.

Defeat to Southampton was even tougher to take given Tottenham lost at home to Brighton mere hours before. Letting a surprise opening like that slip away was a silver platter opportunity Arsenal are unlikely to be dished up again.

The real winners of the weekend were Manchester United, even if another drab performance from them, one in which they gave up a two-goal lead at home to Norwich, required a Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick to salvage them victory. All of a sudden they might not be out of the Champions League race entirely.

Ahead of facing Chelsea on Wednesday, many understandably feel that Arsenal are no longer in the running.

What Arsenal need to finish above Tottenham and in the Premier League top four to secure Champions League football next season

Without any real threat from the No. 9 position and no line-breaking passes from Thomas Partey to spring defence into attack, performances have been lifeless. Chances are arriving but there is nobody to stick them away.

Casting aside the unavoidable mental fragility of the team right now and the worrying lack of urgency in the play, as far as top four is concerned the past weekend’s result left it as you were. While Arsenal blew a chance to gain ground on Spurs, it remains the case that if they win their game in hand they will be level on points.

So, by all accounts, Arsenal are still in the hunt on paper.

Until it’s over it isn’t over, but what will it require? It’s a remarkable situation to look at if we take a step back from the negativity: if Arsenal win all of their remaining seven matches in the Premier League they will be a Champions League club next season.

There are proverbial tomatoes being thrown at anyone who dares even utter such obscenities, but that is the bottom line.

In fact, Arsenal may not even need to win each one to do so. It’s borderline laughable that, despite the pitiful football that has been dished up over the last 270 minutes, the Gunners’ fate is still, sort of, in their hands.

If the situation was posed to a supporter just a few weeks ago, that beating Chelsea (A), Manchester United (H), West Ham (A), Leeds (H), Tottenham (A), Newcastle (A) and Everton (H) would be enough to secure top four, they’d probably be somewhat confident: the Blues have nothing to play for, Rangnick’s side are dreadful, West Ham are focussed on the Europa League, Leeds have been in a relegation battle, form goes out the window for the North London Derby, Newcastle are safe and comfortable, and Everton are laughably poor.

It wouldn’t be totally out of the realms of possibility. Sadly, however, off the back of April’s results, confidence to even get one win, let alone eight, is at an all-time low.

Yet, as ridiculous as it may seem, that remains the state of play for Arsenal. Furthermore, they can probably afford to drop points here and there with, for example, Spurs and United both still needing to go to Anfield.

Arsenal will not win all of their games, let’s get that straight. The injuries are such killer blows and all self-belief has been drained from the side. But what if, eh?