Arsenal must keep believing, because top four is theirs

That was awful. Gut wrenching. Totally and utterly demoralising. Arsenal, capable of clinching a top four place with a win away at Tottenham, slumped to a 3-0 defeat.

Banishing to one side the context of the game in regards to Champions League football, this was miserable. Losing to Tottenham under any circumstances, especially in such humbling fashion, is a scar that does not heal overnight.

But it has to. It has it.

The permutations of this match meant that whatever the outcome Arsenal would still have a top four place under their control. As reassuring as it may have been seeing Cristian Romero excluded from the lineup through injury, the true focus lay on Arsenal.

Arsenal still have top four in their hands despite crushing 3-0 Premier League defeat to Tottenham – Champions League is theirs to decide

Starting the game strongly within the opening eight or so minutes, Spurs slowly began to see more possession despite never threatening the visitors’ goal. A few hopeful balls and niggling fouls were the best they could hope for.

As this is the North London Derby, Harry Kane scored from a penalty. A very soft penalty. A collision in the box that Heung-min Son is frustratingly efficient at exaggerating.

From there it all went tumbling down, with Rob Holding’s appalling decision making costing Arsenal a player for the remaining 55 minutes, and with Kane scoring seconds later there was no way back. None at all.

There is no worse feeling. No emotion more damning than leaving the home of your fiercest rivals with a crushing defeat and a sense of embarrassment. But, would you look at that, the table says Arsenal are one point ahead of Tottenham.

Exactly.

Everything that has been fought for up until this point remains within grasp. On paper, as mentally fracturing as this loss may be, Arsenal have two games between themselves and the top four that they should, in theory, win.

Injuries and suspensions have hit them harder than it was ever thought imaginable. If you believed it was backs against the walls stuff earlier, with a bunch of Wenger-era players trying to claw Arsenal towards the Premier League top four, then perhaps it’s time to reassess. Because, right now, is the biggest challenge this group of players have faced as a collective.

Tottenham away from home was the biggest game of the season. Just as Leeds before it was, and West Ham before that. Now it is eyes on Tyneside, where an Arsenal team who have dug so deep to be in this position still have their fate within their hands.

Go to Newcastle, and get a result. When that is done, host Everton, and get a result.

Do that and the Champions League group stages await. That is the goal, just as winning this game was the previous one.

It is not over for Arsenal Football Club this season. Far from it.