Arsenal legend Paul Merson has claimed that his old side are still in the race for fourth spot, despite their poor form of late, but insists that they should have it sewn up by now. The Gunners were in pole position to secure the final Champions League spot, but three successive defeats have left them three points behind Tottenham, albeit with a game in hand on them.
Mikel Arteta’s side could have moved level on points with their north London rivals after Spurs suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Brighton on Saturday lunchtime, but they also succumbed to a defeat by the same scoreline to Southampton. With both clubs suffering losses at the weekend the race for fourth is still wide open, however, Arsenal do appear to have the more difficult run-in.
The Gunners still have to play Chelsea, Manchester United and West Ham in their final seven fixtures, and also travel to Tottenham on May 12. Meanwhile, Antonio Conte’s side have a fairly kind run-in with a trip to Liverpool the only real cause for concern.
