3 reasons why Arsenal could secure a top 4 spot this season

When Arsène Wenger once said that finishing in the top 4 was like winning a trophy, his statement was ridiculed beyond belief. The Frenchman can feel vindicated in his beliefs though as many teams now value finishing in the top 4 over winning a domestic trophy like the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

The revenue that the UEFA Champions League brings to teams is substantial and can make or break a lot of teams' financial models.

Arsenal have not played Champions League football for three seasons, meaning they’ve missed out on an injection of funds for three summers now. Not only does the Champions League come with financial gain, but it is also needed to attract new signings.

As things stand, Arsenal trail the top 4 by 10 points. But in a season that has already provided us several surprises, it’s not out of the realms of possibility for the Gunners to finish in the top 4.

Here are 3 reasons why Arsenal will manage to secure a top 4 spot this season.

#3 Lack of consistency among all major contenders

Arsenal have won 6 games, drawn 13 and lost 6 this season

This season, there are a number of teams competing for UCL qualification, including Leicester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Arsenal. Assuming the top two spots go to Liverpool and Manchester City, the 5 clubs mentioned above are fighting for the remaining 2 spots.

This season, Chelsea have lost 8 games, Leicester 6, Manchester United 8, Tottenham 8 and Arsenal 6. No team has shown the ability to string together a run of wins which means Arsenal have as good a chance as any other side to finish behind Manchester City and Liverpool.

If Arsenal are able to produce a string of consistent results and win more than half of their remaining games, a top 4 spot is theirs for the taking. Arsenal will only face the other members of the top four race on four occasions across the remainder of the season, leaving them with many winnable games.

#2 Defence strengthened in January

Pablo Mari will be a suitable partner for Sokratis or David Luiz

For years, Arsenal fans have been crying out for additions to the heart of the defence. Aside from Laurent Koscielny, no defenders of quality have been signed in recent years though.

This summer, the club decided David Luiz was the answer to their defensive woes, however, he has proven to be as much of a problem as the rest of Arsenal's defenders. As a result, the club made the wise choice to strengthen the defence in January by roping in two players.

The arrivals of Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares give Arsenal much-needed cover at the back and will allow Mikel Arteta to rotate his backline.

In the few games Arteta has been in charge, he's managed to tighten up the Arsenal backline and now that he has a platform to build from, he can focus on improving the attacking play of the team.

#1 Mikel Arteta is changing the mentality of the club

AFC Bournemouth v Arsenal FC - FA Cup Fourth Round

Since Mikel Arteta took charge of Arsenal, there’s been a notable difference in the mentality of the team.

Suddenly, the Gunners look more resolute defensively and much more organised from front to back. Arteta has insisted the team defends as a unit, with each player having to cover spaces quickly. The Spaniard has only been in charge of the club for 7 weeks, but his team has shown more signs of life in this short period than in 18 months under Unai Emery.

The new boss declared in his first press conference that he would expect nothing less than 100% from his players and those who did not buy into that philosophy would not be playing for the team in the future.

The players have understood that they must work their socks off throughout the 90 minutes, with lapses in concentration no longer acceptable. Since the Spaniard's arrival, the Gunners have conceded just 8 goals in 9 games, a stark improvement from their performances under the previous regime.