Top four is definitely an if right now. Partey hasn’t kicked a ball and we still are a very low scoring team and it seems quite likely we’ll be giving at least some game time to Xhaka, Mustfai, Luiz And Holding for the majority of the season.
If I was to put money on it right now I’d say we get it. But it would be a relatively small bet.
Well I’ve got 20 quid on us winning the title at 25/1🙃
I don’t think the squad is good enough for Top 4 especially since we rely on few key individuals and this being a busy season with loads of games.
I would say minimum would be a good run for Top 4 places, rather than being out of it by April.
We just need to be top for the week when they call the season as it stands because of covid 
I think if we keep our heads down and focus on ourselves by building a consistent run of results, we will secure top 4.
So far there are crazy scorelines happening all around us, whilst we quietly won 3 out of 4 games so far. There is far more competition than usual for CL but consistency is key.
Steer clear of nonsense scoreline losses and keep being solid defensively (I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up with the best defensive record out of the big 6). Keep up the improved results against the big 6, increase our chance creation (which I think Partey’s addition will end up enhancing imo), and utilise our squad depth over the stretch and we will do it!
It all depends what other teams do.
I’d forgive 5th or even 6th if he managed to get something like 75 points and other clubs simply did better than that.
I’d forgive a narrow exit from the EL in any knockout round against quality opposition like Atletico or Chelsea, but not going out to someone like Zenit, even if it was in the final.
What I want to see is us not have a weak mentality and shit the bed when it counts. I don’t want us to fold in the EL against a shit team because a penalty went against us. I don’t want to see us go on a run of 3 losses when 4th is in sight and then it’s gone. I want to see the manager change his approach when it’s not working.
These are the things that have driven me mad the past few years regardless of where we actually finished in the table.
I’ll be pretty pleased if we just see Auba up front for the majority of the season.
The rest of our goals will be accomplished by themselves if we do this one thing, god willing.
I don’t think you can really say that after 4 games?
I mean relative to a few years ago.
The top 4 was more predictable in the days of the old “big 4” where you would get the odd challenge from Spurs, Everton, Villa etc.
But now we have a top 2 (Man City/Liverpool) and 2 other spots to be fought out by around 4 teams or more. Ultimately its likely the now “big 6” will come together again but over the last few seasons the members of this group have bounced around between 3rd and 8th and the margin of error is smaller due to the limited CL spots.
I’m not completely convinced yet by the likes of Everton, Leicester etc. to sustain a challenge on the top 4 but if we add them into the equation, that’s when consistency and squad depth will show its importance.
@Trion made a point about low scoring and over relying on key players. I agree but I hope we’re both wrong. Your point about squad depth gives some confidence we can make top 4. Everton and Leicester may not be able to keep pace for the entirety of the season so there’s hope.
I think if we’re going to rely on Auba all the time for goals, Arteta needs to make us really hard to score against.
There are certainly more clubs that can get a top four place and it wasn’t long ago that Man City would never have been considered a top four club and a while before that it was Chelsea.
Arsenal, Man U and Liverpool are historically the biggest and most successful clubs but since the PL started we have seen Chelsea and Man City challenge them, not through being big clubs, but by having oil rich owners.
There are also clubs like spurs, Everton, Wolves, Leicester who are ambitious, with owners that are willing to push their clubs further and who have good support.
Like you say, the quality in the squad is what normally separates these clubs and that’s why, when Leicester won the PL title, they had to rely on key players not getting injured.
Arteta has very few elite players to work with but he does have a squad that has depth in decent quality.
I’m not convinced we will get a top four place because there are several other clubs in a similar position to us but a top six place would at least be an indication we’re going in the right direction.
Imagine trying to learn in English in Scotland:joy:
Arteta signed to Arsenal past prime. But here’s all his Everton goals. I remember they were gutted to lose him.
I wouldn’t say past prime, more so not soon enough. To think he took a pay cut to make the deal happen because he wanted to come here so bad. Loved him as a player, love him as a manger, I just love him.
He came after a serious injury, can’t remember what it was now
Fractured hairline
Definitely not that
or hairline fracture???
We signed him ‘late’ because Arsenal always had or found better/more promising players. But somehow since/from 2011 - 2017 we only signed mediocre players. Not just Arteta. But all the signings but Ozil, Cazorla and Sanchez.
He had a couple of serious injuries at Everton… I remember well one happened just after he got a call for the national team… Was so disappointed for him at that time, always thought how incredible it was such a player never gor a game for his national team while he would be a crucial player for many other big countries.
He was absolutely past his prime when he got here, although his first season here was pretty good, probably one of his best ever, I’d say he was one of the top midfielders in the league that year. Still had decent legs, balance, combined with his immaculate sense of positioning. I was saying at that time he was the most tactically shrewd player I saw in an Arsenal shirt.