3 reasons why Arsenal face an uphill battle for a return to the top 6

With just 30 points this season, Arsenal sit as low as 12th in the Premier League and are on course for their worst Premier League finish ever. Moreover, it has been a season that has seen 3 managers in the Gunners' dugout with Mikel Arteta the latest to try his hand at steering the Arsenal ship back in the right direction. However, the Spaniard faces an uphill battle to get back into the top 6 of the Premier League with ever-improving sides such as Wolves and Leicester City replacing Arsenal in the top 6 tussles this season, along with several other factors. With that being said, here are 3 reasons why Arsenal face an uphill battle for a return to the top 6.

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A lack of experience

Joe Willock is one of several youth prospects at Arsenal.

Although Arsenal fans will be excited for the future due to the benefits of a youthful starting 11, they will also be wary that they may face a long wait for Arsenal to return to the top 6 whilst the youthful team develop under Mikel Arteta. In fact, Arsenal have fielded the second-youngest starting line-up this season with an average age of 24, against Everton. And it's this inexperience that has cost Arsenal so dearly this season, especially when attempting to keep a lead. One example of this is when Arsenal came up against Chelsea in a crucial game in the race for top 4 and Arsenal conceded 2 goals in the dying minutes of the game to lose 2-1 and further dent their top 4 hopes. What's more, it was clear from that game that Arsenal are in desperate need of an experienced leader to manage games better and in doing so, push back into the top 6.

New contenders

Before this season, the original top 6 of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool hadn't been splintered since 2016. But, now in 2020, the top 6 has been torn apart with the likes of Leicester, Wolves and even Sheffield United hoping to fight their way into the European places, replacing Manchester United, Arsenal and last years Champions League finalists, Spurs. This leaves a place in the top 6 unlikely for Arsenal who now face several competitors for the positions. These clubs have outperformed Arsenal this season and may go on to do so for many years to come. Leicester and Wolves, in particular, look likely to break into and stay in the top 6 for years to come due to the benefit of a perfect blend of youth and experience which prepares them for the present and future.

A lack of financial backing

Despite splashing the cash in the summer on Nicolas Pepe, failure to qualify for Europe this season will likely prevent Arsenal from being able to spend big in preparation for next season. And this will do nothing to aid Arsenal's top 6 chances for next season which could see them fail to finish in a European place for the second season running. This makes a victory in this season's Europa League all the more important for Arsenal who will be desperate to qualify for Europe and get the financial backing Mikel Arteta desperately needs in the summer in order to battle for a top 4 place.

To conclude, a lack of financial backing along with an inexperienced team and the improvement of those around them are all among several reasons why Arsenal face an uphill battle for a return to the top 6 and a return to European football.

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