in a fortnight, another most appropriate league season may be consigned to the records books, and for mikel arteta’s arsenal, there’s a hazard to quit the 2021/22 campaign on a high.
the main goal whilst things got underway all the manner back in august became to qualify for europe again after lacking out for the first time in over decades this 12 months. following final weekend’s 2-1 win over west ham, that project has been executed because the gunners can be inside the europa league next season at a minimal.
but champions league qualification remains a excellent opportunity, and after signing a brand new settlement to preserve him at arsenal until the summer time of 2025, arteta’s short-term aim is to make sure the club are lower back at europe’s top table after a five-year absence.
“to take the membership to the subsequent level and to compete in reality with the pinnacle teams,” the spaniard said when asked what his objectives are for arsenal. “which will try this, we have to be playing in the champions league. we’ve got for you to evolve the team, enhance our gamers, improve all departments, generate even greater connections with our fanatics, improve the surroundings at the emirates, be able to recruit pinnacle, top expertise and the satisfactory humans for this membership to pressure this task to that stage.”
with the finishing line in sight, just 4 more furnishings remain for arsenal this season and going into this weekend’s movement from the premiere league, they sat fourth in the desk with a two-point benefit over tottenham hotspur and simply three points behind chelsea in 1/3.
of course, the permutations to qualify for the champions league are simple. the clubs that seal a top-4 end within the highest quality league, as well as the winners of this season’s tournament and the europa league, will advantage entry to the competition for the 2022/23 campaign.
moreover, as manchester united and west ham united are not concerned inside the champions league or europa league finals, respectively, it method arsenal have averted one ability nightmare scenario in which they end fourth but nonetheless pass over out on qualifying for europe’s elite club opposition.
as things stand, best the 2 name contenders in manchester city and liverpool are already guaranteed top-four finishes, and it is going to be from arsenal, chelsea and spurs to finish the set following the outcome of saturday’s fixtures which noticed guy united crushed four-zero at brighton and hove albion.
present day most advantageous league pinnacle six:
1. liverpool – 83 points
2. man metropolis – 83 points
three. chelsea – sixty seven factors
4. arsenal – 63 factors
five. tottenham – sixty two factors
6. guy united – 58 factors
one observe the gold standard league desk, that’s correct at the time of ebook, and you can see that chelsea are just 4 points clean of the gunners in 0.33 after they threw away a 2-0 lead at home to wolves to draw 2-2. this indicates a win over leeds will see arteta’s side near the distance to a single point, and a pinnacle-3 finish will very an awful lot be on the playing cards.
in the meantime, the dream situation for arsenal of clinching a champions league spot within the north london derby on thursday night is a opportunity after spurs drew 1-1 with liverpool at anfield. however in order for this to happen, the gunners have to first beat leeds united on sunday and then take all three factors off their large opponents.