Mikel Arteta has done wonders with his young Arsenal side to put them in pole position to land in the top four so far this season. After a tough campaign last time out, where the Gunners missed out on European football, question marks were left over his long and short-term future at the club.
However, he was backed in the transfer market, with a squad overhaul taking place. Gone were the older players with high wages and long contracts and in came young and hungry players with something to prove at a club the size of Arsenal.
The likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Martin Odegaard all joined in a summer transfer window that cost over £150million. It was a huge price to pay, but with the club currently in fourth with three points and a game in hand over Tottenham in fourth, it may have paid off.
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Confirming qualification for the Champions League could be key for where Arteta and his young squad end up though, given the extra revenue and players it could attract. With Manchester United, West Ham, Chelsea and Spurs all left to play, it could be a tough run to the end of the season.
Discussing the top four and their run of form back in March, the Arsenal boss told the official website : “To be with the top teams you have to win consistently and do it in a convincing way. I need even more than that amount of victories (four in a row) because there are teams in this league who do that for 10, 11, 12 or 18 times so still the margin is pretty big.”
However, this weekend may have given the Gunners a perfect opportunity to edge just that bit closer to qualifying, especially if results swing their way. One already has done on Saturday, with Manchester United drawing against Leicester.
That has left Arsenal three points clear of the Red Devils too, but with two games in hand over them. Following their draw, football predictors FiveThirtyEight have given Manchester United just a four percent chance of qualifying for Europe's premier club competition this season.
It could look even better for Arteta and his men come later on Sunday evening, with Antonio Conte’s side set to face Newcastle. If they were to also drop points, it opens the path to a potentially bigger gap heading into the run-in for Arsenal.
Predictors FiveThirtyEight have the qualification as a shootout between the two North London rivals, with the red half having a 70% chance to Tottenham’s 27%. Given the difficulty of their remaining fixtures, any slip up would be helpful for Arteta ahead of a tricky tie away game at Crystal Palace on Monday night.
