Arsenal suffered another tough defeat on Saturday to Brighton, failing to bounce back after Monday night’s shock against Crystal Palace earlier in the week. This is supremely disappointing and two straight losses puts a significant dent into Arsenal’s top four hopes.
Let’s do something that is hard to do as fans sometimes, especially after losing matches you shouldn’t have: let’s take a step back and look at the big picture for Arsenal and the rest of the season.
These losses sucked, but Arsenal continues to be very much in the hunt for the top four, only three points behind Spurs with a game in hand still. Spurs are playing well but just as every match is no guarantee for Arsenal, the same goes for Spurs who have also struggled for consistency at times this season.
But let’s go to the dark side for a minute and let’s say that Spurs do find that consistency and they finish in the top four, with us behind in 5th. Is this the worst-case scenario?
After the 2-1 defeat to Brighton Arsenal could miss out on the Premier League top four, but that won’t be the end of the world
I know, I know; finishing below Spurs and missing out on the Champions League does sound like a nightmare right now, and it’s not something I’m crazy about seeing either. Although it would suck as fans for as long as we have waited to be back into the Champions League to fall short again, and to our biggest rivals no less, there can still be a silver lining.
Spurs and Arsenal are in very different situations and views of the future. Tottenham are very clearly in ‘win-now’ mode. They have a manager that has only been at a job for longer than two years once in his career (2011-2014 with Juventus), and an aging core led by Harry Kane who very publicly wanted out of the club last summer. They must win now because of how they are set up.
Arsenal, however, has committed to a long-term project with a young and exciting manager with a plethora of future stars in the lineup that want to make sure the club succeeds in the longer term, not just this season. So, the two clubs are in very different positions both now and for later when it comes to this top four race.
How many Arsenal fans predicted us to be in the top four race or in this position in August? Not many, I imagine. How many predicted us to be where we are after we lost the first three matches of the season? Probably even less. How many predicted it before the season even began?
Arsenal has the youngest squad in the Premier League and has clearly shown our favorite word, “progress”, this season.
Many will be disappointed when we were so close if we don’t qualify and the fact that we ‘could’ have bolstered our squad in January. However, was that possible?
Could Arsenal have done anything differently in the winter window?
Continued on next page…
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<p>— Premier League (@premierleague) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/04/10/arsenal-top-4-end-world-tottenham/"https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1512868713099370498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>April 9, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
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<h2>After the 2-1 defeat to Brighton Arsenal could miss out on the Premier League top four, but that won’t be the end of the world</h2>
<p>I know, I know; finishing below Spurs and missing out on the Champions League does sound like a nightmare right now, and it’s not something I’m crazy about seeing either. Although it would suck as fans for as long as we have waited to be back into the Champions League to fall short again, and to our biggest rivals no less, there can still be a silver lining.</p>
<p>Spurs and Arsenal are in very different situations and views of the future. Tottenham are very clearly in ‘win-now’ mode. They have a manager that has only been at a job for longer than two years once in his career (2011-2014 with Juventus), and an aging core led by Harry Kane who very publicly wanted out of the club last summer. They must win now because of how they are set up.</p>
<p>Arsenal, however, has committed to a long-term project with a young and exciting manager with a plethora of future stars in the lineup that want to make sure the club succeeds in the longer term, not just this season. So, the two clubs are in very different positions both now and for later when it comes to this top four race.</p>
<p>How many Arsenal fans predicted us to be in the top four race or in this position in August? Not many, I imagine. How many predicted us to be where we are after we lost the first three matches of the season? Probably even less. How many predicted it before the season even began?</p>
<p>Arsenal has the youngest squad in the <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/04/10/arsenal-top-4-end-world-tottenham/"https://www.90min.com/leagues/premier-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Premier League</a> and has clearly shown our favorite word, “progress”, this season.</p>
<p>Many will be disappointed when we were so close if we don’t qualify and the fact that we ‘could’ have bolstered our squad in January. However, was that possible?</p>
<p>Could Arsenal have done anything differently in the winter window?</p>
<p><em>Continued on next page…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/04/10/arsenal-top-4-end-world-tottenham/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Is January to blame? </a>
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<img decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-125061" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/04/10/arsenal-top-4-end-world-tottenham/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1239864922-850x560.jpeg" alt="Arsenal, Laca" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Arsenal players react after conceding a second goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Brighton and Hove Albion. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Arsenal Couldn’t Have Done Much in January</h2>
<p>The biggest name that changed clubs at the striker position in the last window was obviously Dusan Vlahovic who Arsenal were heavily linked with.</p>
<p>After failing to win the Serbian striker’s signature there were very clearly no other players available with the quality that Arsenal wanted at the position. A panic buy that doesn’t work out would hurt Arsenal way more long-term than riding with what they had. It is very easy to look at Lacazette’s form since January and say that we should have bought someone, but the question must be asked, who would we have signed?</p>
<p>OK, let’s leave this very dark, hypothetical world I have made for us all and come back to the present. Arsenal has lost two straight and has three key players out for extended periods, where do we go from here?</p>
<p><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/04/10/arsenal-top-4-end-world-tottenham/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/04/10/arsenal-brighton-arteta-blame-disaster/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tactically speaking</a>, Arteta needs to <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/04/10/arsenal-top-4-end-world-tottenham/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/04/09/arsenal-big-worry-tactical-plan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">simplify</a> by tweaking back the 4-2-3-1 seen during 2021 with the full-backs playing high and wide, while a double pivot of Xhaka and Lokonga will play to the strengths of the players available.</p>
<p>Regarding the striker position, many would love to see Smith Rowe or Martinelli lead the line for the Gunners. However, I just don’t think Arteta makes that kind of switch at such a pivotal time in the season. I do think a change needs to be made at the position – Nketiah has been bright in his -cameos the last two matches – and I do not think that he would perform worse than Lacazette has in those games.</p>
<p>Arsenal is still very much in the running for the top four and to get it this season would be a momentous achievement for this young squad. It is far from impossible, and we have seen how good this team has been. The players need to step up, especially the ones filling in for injuries. Nuno and Sambi were signed as young depth for Tierney and Partey and it’s time for them to try to fill in their shoes.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="This one is on you, Mikel" data-url="https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/04/10/arsenal-brighton-arteta-blame-disaster/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/04/10/arsenal-top-4-end-world-tottenham/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/04/10/arsenal-brighton-arteta-blame-disaster/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> This one is on you, Mikel </a> </div>
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<p>In the scenario that the Gunners don’t manage to get the top four, the sky will not fall down. Arsenal’s project is still very much on track with a Europa League qualification which could be a very good experience to have for such a young squad. Champions League would be incredible, and all Arsenal fans want to hear that theme song play at the Emirates next season, but don’t undercut what this team has done this season if they come up short.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
