Gary Neville downplays Arsenal's top four chances

Gary Neville claims Arsenal need rivals Chelsea and Manchester United to ‘BLOW UP’ to finish in the top four this season… as he insists the Gunners’ lack of experience remains a ‘concern’

  • Arsenal were beaten to fourth place by Tottenham on the final day of last season
  • Gary Neville feels Arsenal’s lack of experience cost them a top four finish
  • He is still concerned that they are lacking in this department this season
  • Neville does not expect Arsenal to finish in the top four unless their rivals slip up
  • He thinks they need Chelsea and Man United to struggle to get into the top four 

Gary Neville thinks that Arsenal will need Chelsea and Manchester United to ‘blow up’ if they are to make the top four this season.

The Gunners narrowly missed out on Champions League football on the final day of last season, and Neville is not convinced that they will fare any better this time around.

The former United full-back feels Arsenal threw away a top-four finish in 2021-22, and he continues to have reservations about their lack of experience on the touchline and on the pitch.  

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal missed out on the top four on the final day of last season

Gary Neville thinks Arsenal will struggle to make the top four again this season

‘I just worry about the experience in terms of a young manager,’ Neville said on The Overlap.

‘To be fair, it’s not unfounded, the evidence is there! Last season, Arsenal should have finished in the top four. But, in the end the experience of Antonio Conte, the experience of the Tottenham Hotspur players (meant they didn’t).

‘In that game, Spurs’ experience on that night it was alarming how naive Arsenal were and how short they were. My concern is just purely around (that). 

‘I know Chelsea and Manchester United are struggling a bit in terms of where they are and they might both blow up, but I think will both have to happen in order for Arsenal to land in the top four.’

Neville believes Chelsea will have to perform poorly for Arsenal to make the top four

He also thinks Manchester United will have to underperform again to help Arsenal

Arsenal have had a promising summer, which has seen them add Manchester City duo Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to their squad, while Fabio Vieira has arrived from Porto and looks to be an exciting prospect.

They won all five of their pre-season friendlies, which included a 4-0 victory against Chelsea last month in Florida.

Mikel Arteta’s men also finished 11 points clear of United in the table last term, but it appears that Neville is expecting the Red Devils to have a much-improved campaign under new manager Erik ten Hag this year.

Arsenal will get their chance to lay down a marker when they get the 2022-23 Premier League season underway against Crystal Palace on Friday. 




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