Gunners now worthy of a Champions League place

An impressive run of form from Arsenal has seen the club make up ground on their North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the race for a top four finish. Prior to the 5-2 thumping of their neighbours last month, the Gunners were a massive 10 points behind Harry Redknapp’s side, but since the win, they have cut the lead down to just a solitary point. If I were to recommend some Football Betting Tips to any fan of football, it would be that the Gunners are a dead cert to make the UEFA Champions League again next season.

An indifferent start to the season saw many predict that Arsenal would finish outside the top four for the first time since Arsene Wenger took over in 1996. However, with captain Robin Van Persie netting pivotal goals over the season, including winners against Everton and Liverpool just two of the impressive 26 goals he has netted this campaign, the Dutchman has shown no remorse to opposition back-lines this year and isn’t showing any signs of slowing.

Meanwhile, the return to fitness from a number of key players, including defenders Bacary Sagna, Kieran Gibbs and Laurent Koscielny, a solidified a back four that was error prone earlier in the season has since become one of the best in the Premier League. The emergence of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and return to form of Theo Walcott has boosted Arsene Wenger’s attacking options considerably and while Arsenal stuttered when the campaign started, they have since found the essential form at the crucial end of the season.

Many are now tipping the Gunners to finish in third place, a somewhat foolish bet to make at the beginning of the month despite having just trounced their rivals in the North London derby. Now the in form team heading into the final 10 games of the season, the next coming against Everton at Goodison Park, you would be hard pressed to find many teams that could stop them. Facing just three of the top ten between now and May has seen the bookies instil them as favourites to pull off what appeared impossible a few months ago.

Yet Wenger has brought the confidence back to the side that looked low on morale when the season started in August. Now three points clear of fifth placed Chelsea and just one behind Spurs in third, a top four finish is certainly the likely outcome for the Gunners in a campaign which, following the departures of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas to Manchester City and Barcelona respectively, looked as though they may fail to obtain Champions League football next season.

However, coming to the fabled ‘business end’ of the season, they are now odds on to secure a finish in the top three despite Spurs currently occupying the position. The team has come a long way since August and to secure a third place finish come May, it will be a superb achievement to Wenger, who was beginning to feel the pressure from the fans earlier in the campaign, and the players who have been in superb form over the course of the season and if they can continue their current run of form, a top four finish is certainty.

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Comments

[ian]

The Gunners are cuurently worth where they ar ein the league, but Wenger has steadily improve the squad over last few windows and only lost Nasri as a big loss, Fabregas was injured most of last season so had little effect on the team. By buying in smaller name players he has helped create a more balanced team where they are more equals and less full of superstars (only RVP excluded) who could all be dropped if in bad form.
Slowly he has rebiult Arsenal into a team where as Spurs and Chelsea have great individuals and a manager who may not be there next season.
On paper Arsenal will get third and Spurs fourth but on paper Man Utd would be in 6th below Liverpool so all is open.

[richard morgan]

Hi,

I disagree that we are worth our champions league place at this time. Yes we have played well and gained third place but chelsea have lacked consistency and tottenham have had downturn in results recently. We will only be worth our place in the champions league at the end of the season. This weekend is vitally important hopefully chelski and tottenham will play out a draw giving us a chance to put two more points on both teams. remember out of the three of us spurs run in is without top teams after chelsea tomorrow. We have both chelsea and City to come in april and chelsea have us liverpool and newcastle to go after playing tottenham and city. We require that third place because if uefa keep to their promise that if chelsea win champions league final then the fourth english spot will go to them then fourth spot this year is worthless. But give credit to the manager and team for turning around a bad start and we have now had ten clean sheets in the league this season 15 in all competitions not bad for a team that has not had a settled back four. what would be nice is to finish march with either 18 points from 18 or 16 at the very least.