Are Arsenal the best placed team to finish fourth this season?

By Oscar Maung-Haley

While the top three spots in the Premier League will most likely feature some variation of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City, the race for fourth is as competitive as it’s ever been.

And after a shaky start to the season, Arsenal have come into form…could they be the best bet to take that all important final Champions League spot?

Gunners gunning for Europe

In a surprising twist to the 2021/22 Premier League season, Arsenal might finally be back.

After a couple of years of real inconsistency, the Gunners look to have finally assembled a squad capable of challenging for the top four again.

With 11 games played, they sit fifth, two points behind Liverpool, who they play this weekend.

Since their 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City in August, Arsenal have not lost in all competitions, picking up 20 points from a possible 24 in the Premier League.

Their summer signings look to have settled and the likes of Aaron Ramsdale and Emile Smith Rowe have been amongst the best performers across the league this season.

They’ll have to keep up their good form and pick up results against the bigger sides if they want to challenge but currently they’re one of the form teams who could challenge for fourth this season – it’s certainly not out of the question for Mikel Arteta’s men.

The Man United/Spurs axis

In terms of star power and big names, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are the closest rivals to Arsenal when it comes to who could clinch that final UCL spot.

The former have an abundance of attacking talent capable of turning anyone over on their day, while Spurs aren’t actually too far away from fourth despite some inconsistent results.

The addition of Antonio Conte could really turn things around for Spurs, and with it not even the second half of the season yet, they could still become a fearsome side with plenty of the campaign left.

Both, however, have been prone to slip-ups this season, dropping points when perhaps they shouldn’t have.

Certainly in Manchester United’s case, their three-game stretch which saw them lose to Aston Villa, draw with Everton and then lose to Leicester really showed just how up and down they are.

That inconsistency could prove to be their downfall, with Arsenal actually looking the most consistent of the three when it comes to picking up solid, if unspectacular wins.

The rest of the field

Ok, so remember when we said Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool would be the top three?

Well there is one side currently in the top four above Liverpool that we’ve yet to mention. David Moyes’ West Ham United.

Moyes was something of a comedy figure after his spells at Manchester United and Sunderland, with many believing the game had passed him by.

However, you cannot deny that the Scotsman has done an absolutely sensational job with the Hammers, who sit third through 11 games.

They cannot be discounted as top four contenders.

While their squad might not have the depth in some areas, and an injury to star forward Michail Antonio could spell disaster, they are there on merit.

Their Europa League campaign could lead to a downturn in form but so far they’re even managing their continental commitments well this season.

Leicester, perennial top four contenders over the last two seasons, look to have fallen away following a less than ideal start to the new campaign.

And while Spurs sit in ninth right now, they’re included in the top four conversation by virtue of having one of football’s best tacticians in Conte.

Come the end of the season, it would be a shock if they sat behind Wolves and Brighton who currently sit just above them.

It certainly seems that as of now, Arsenal, alongside surprise package West Ham, are best placed to finish fourth this season.