It will not be a disaster if Arsenal miss out on a top-four place again after failing to qualify for the Champions League to the delight of arch-rivals Tottenham last season.
That's an opinion held by Alan Smith, who believes Mikel Arteta can afford to finish outside the top four due to how the team is developing under the Spanish boss. The Gunners were in pole position to pip Tottenham to fourth spot but fell out following a 2-0 defeat at Newcastle in their penultimate game of the campaign.
This came after Tottenham thrashed Arsenal 3-0 in the North London derby, giving Antonio Conte's side the momentum to go on and claim Champions League qualification. Spurs were two points ahead going into the final day of the season and needed just a point against already-relegated Norwich due to their superior goal difference. Despite the Gunners' 5-1 success over Everton, Spurs won 4-0 to finish above Arteta's men.
Although the Gunners are hoping to challenge for a top-four place this term, Smith does not believe they have to reach those coveted spots. Instead, he prefers to focus on the development of the younger players and added that Arsenal have got to keep fighting in order to improve.
Smith, speaking on behalf of 888, said: "To get fourth place would be real success. Winning a trophy would obviously be huge as well but these days it’s all about getting Champions League football and having the ability to attract top-class players.
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" Liverpool and Manchester City are setting the standards but Chelsea are an unknown quantity. I don’t quite know how things will pan out there so maybe they might leave an opening? Who knows.
"Spurs will be there or thereabouts and Arsenal have just got to keep in there fighting, and try to nick a place. If they can’t it’s not a disaster so long as they continue the development of the team and their young players. They will get better and they have a good spirit there."
Arsenal have been busy in the transfer window to ensure they improve on last campaign, which they ended with their highest-ever points tally since Arsene Wenger's time in charge. Marquinhos, Fabio Viera and Matt Turner were the first three players to come through the door before Gabriel Jesus made the £45million switch from Manchester City in what has been described as one of the signings of the window.
Raphinha, Lisandro Martinez and Youri Tielemans continue to be linked with moves to the Emirates Stadium as Arteta tries to bolster his squad ahead of their opening-day clash at Crystal Palace. Despite all the positivity behind the Gunners' transfer business, Smith admitted it will be hard for Arsenal to catch Spurs this term.
He added: "It won’t be easy for Arsenal with all that’s going on at Tottenham, with the signings they are making and Conte. He is a first class manager and getting that Champions League spot was a huge bonus for the club and for him. You wonder what would have happened had they not got it, because he’s a man of ambition.
"So it won’t be easy at all. If it’s as close as last season maybe this time Arsenal can pip them. It’s going to be fascinating to see how that battle goes."
