Wojciech Szczesny has labelled Arsenal's failure to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League as "really disappointing", but the former goalkeeper has backed Mikel Arteta to take the club back to the Champions League.
The Gunners missed out on a top-four finish to Tottenham after costly defeats to their north London rivals and Newcastle United in the final weeks of the season. Arteta paid the price for not having enough firepower up front, having allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to leave for Barcelona on a free transfer, only to fail to sign a replacement in time.
At one stage, the north London club were some distance clear of Spurs, but a hat-trick of consecutive losses at the hands of Brighton, Crystal Palace and Southampton allowed Antonio Conte's side to bridge the gap. It means Arteta's men will play Europa League football next season, which at least represents some progress from the Spaniard's first two seasons when they finished eighth.
