Arsenal aiming for top four without a top four team

The tension is building. Five games remain and, despite Arsenal holding a slender lead over Tottenham in fourth place, the last few weeks alone reinforce the notion that anything can happen in this league.

Getting to the point has been a rollercoaster: the record-breaking start to the season, the bedding in of new signings, the ten game unbeaten run in all competitions, the blip in December, and so on and so forth.

This topsy turvy ride has seen Mikel Arteta field no fewer than 27 different players, a tally exceeded by only six other sides in the division this season, and yet here the squad is, with five games left to go, having just 16 senior outfield players available.

Getting to within a sniff of Champions League football has required contributions from across the team – many of whom have since departed the club – and nobody could have predicted who would be taking over the baton for the final 100m.

Arsenal are aiming for the Premier League top four without a top four team – but Nketiah, Elneny and Cedric have been doing the business

It’s almost unfathomable to stop and think that Arsenal are trying to get into the 2021/22 Premier League top four with Cedric Soares, Mohamed Elneny and Eddie Nketiah starting matches for them. The year is 2022 and Arsenal are using a midfield pivot that first played alongside each other in the league way back in November 2016.

Five and half years of meticulous planning has brought us to this point, eh?

But it is an almighty task in front of this team. They’re aiming to return to elite European competition with a striker who has just enjoyed his three first leagues starts of the season, hadn’t scored up until Chelsea and who is out of contract, a midfielder who has been justifiably criticised throughout much of his time at the club and who is also out of contract, and a much-maligned right-back who fell out of favour at Southampton. It’s madness.

Looking across the competition in the division, Arsenal are not a top four side on paper. Not the one they currently have, yet he were are with seven goals scored in successive games against Chelsea and Manchester United and six points to show for it.

Had someone have laid out the situation midway through the season everyone would have cackled hysterically. No Aubameyang, no Tierney, no Partey, and no Tomiyasu for months. Instead it’s Nketiah spearheading the attack, Elneny rolling it back to 2016 with Xhaka and Cedric actually playing to a decent standard.

This is not a top four team. As bad as Manchester United have been their squad remains strong, while Spurs have added international experience to a team that includes players who’ve reached Champions League finals.

A ludicrous scenario. But one that is working.

Nketiah and Elneny have been nominated for Player of the Month, the pair of them both superb over recent games, and the cards at Arteta’s disposal may be enough for Arsenal to reach the promised land. To think so much rests on the shoulders of these players – including Nuno Tavares who is effectively playing his first season of football – should be fear inducing. It’s not. Not really.

Instead, spirit, unity and clarity of thought and plan could see Arsenal through with a team including three players near enough everyone wanted gone in the summer.

It’s all a bit crazy though, isn’t it?