Arsenal endured a frustrating evening on Monday, falling to a 2-0 defeat against Newcastle United following Ben White's own goal and Bruno Guimaraes' close-range finish. The loss all but ended the north Londoners' hopes of qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League, something that looked unlikely just a week ago when they were four points clear of local rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who now sit two points clear in the race for fourth.
It has been a hugely disappointing end to the season for the Gunners but it would still be harsh to claim that Mikel Arteta and Co have underachieved. Rewind back nine months and many pundits predicted Arteta's side to finish outside the top six whilst FiveThirtyEight’s Premier League projection from August 29 claimed that the likes of Everton, Leicester City and Brighton were all more likely to finish in the top four.
Similarly, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville predicted that Arsenal would be the biggest underachievers this season, something that has clearly not come true. “I think they’ve got a good young coach but at the moment I worry about the make-up of the squad, it doesn’t feel right,” Neville told Sky Sports back in August of last year.
