Arsenal predicted to finish 9th in the table, missing out on European football

Arteta on top four

Arsenal have endured a very difficult season this year and currently sit 10th in the Premier League table after suffering a total of 11 defeats across the season with still 11 games left to go.

Mikel Arteta recently spoke about the reasons as to why Arsenal have succumbed to such a poor placing, highlighting errors and red cards as the main cause.

“Those teams they don’t make those mistakes,” the Spaniard said. “Those teams they cannot play in the first 22 games of the season four or five times with 10 men. It doesn’t happen.”

“There is not a team in the world that can sustain that. And still if you make an error, you concede early, the team has to react. And the team reacted and we had more than enough to still come back and win the game.”

“So if you don’t do one, you have to do the other one. Because if you don’t do neither of them when you have the chances and you are not ruthless enough in the opponents’ box, then of course you are going to lose the game.”

Arsenal drew 1-1 against Burnley at the weekend in yet another example of where individual errors from both Granit Xhaka and Bernd Leno cost the side two points.

Predicted 9th finish

Arsenal currently sit 12 points off top 4 with a game in hand over fourth placed Chelsea. The Gunners have a favourable run of fixtures leading up until the end of the season, including matches against those also in the race for a European place.

Arteta’s side must play Spurs, Everton, Chelsea, Liverpool and West Ham in the remaining weeks of the season. These games will ultimately have the biggest bearing on where Arsenal end up.

The Athletic released a report that is based upon a number of metrics and prediction algorithms. They expect that if Arsenal are to continue on the trajectory that they have shown so far this season, taking into account the likes of xG for and against and that of their opponents, it is likely that the Gunners will finish 9th in the table.

Ultimately it means that Arsenal would miss out on all European football next season unless they are to continue progressing through and winning the Europa League.

This could have a major bearing on Arsenal’s summer transfer window with financial backing limited. Arteta will hope he can prove the predictions wrong and find a strong finish to the campaign.

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This article was edited by Robert Fosterman.

Source: 101greatgoals.com