Well, not top. We know that…
However, Manchester United’s 3-2 defeat to West Ham United does mean Arsenal will finish in the top four for the 20th consecutive season.
What do you mean you’re not excited?
Anyway, the table currently looks like this [see below] and with a game against Aston Villa on the final day of the season, we’re in the driving seat to secure automatic qualification to the group stages of the Champions League.
That said, while a third place finish looks likely, there are still best and worse case scenarios that could pan out. Here are the final day permutations…
Here are the final day permutations…
__
For Arsenal to finish second (thus sparking wild St Totteringham’s Day celebrations)…
Sp*rs lose and Arsenal win.
Sp*rs draw and Arsenal win 13-0.
__
For Arsenal to finish third…
Sp*rs draw and Arsenal win less than 13-0.
Arsenal draw.
Man City draw or lose.
__
For Arsenal to finish fourth…
Arsenal lose and City win.
__
Remember, finishing fourth in the table means we’ll have to play a two-legged Champions League qualifier at the start of next season; a scenario that Arsene Wenger is desperate to avoid given the havoc it plays with pre-season preparations and potential transfer business.
thought this was about next season when I saw the headline because in my head this horrible season is already over and I’ve moved on to being pointlessly optimistic for the next
It’s been a disappointing season where we’ve seen Arsenal make the same old mistakes, but to call it horrible is a bit too much I think. Still, I cant wait for it to finish.
It feels like our worst season in a long time and yet we could finish higher than we have in God knows how long. It’s a weird one for sure.
Anyone else feeling we might win 12-0 and miss out because Walcott forgets to shoot and just runs the ball out of play. No? Just me?
Something like Forrest Gump?
What a dogs breakfast of a season.So much hope then the usual injuries,poor form in particular the FA Cup defeat to Watford,Swansea and Manure around the same time.
BUT we will still be probably 3rd a place many clubs can only dream about.
AW please please sort out replacements so we can get a flyer next year.
Yup, I think third is where the smart money is. No way Spurs are losing to the shit show that is Newcastle, who now have absolutely nothing to play for.
And if there is no St Totteringham’s Day (due to a gap of three points or less) let’s never forget Mike Dean sending off Gabriel and not Costa as the FA said he should have.
And let’s not forget this celebration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLdMNZR6QDM which will no doubt be happening again if there is no St Totteringham’s Day.
good thing it didn’t cost us the league…
Who knows, the boost to confidence isn’t taken into account in the 3 points lost.
Though knowing us…
Any game I watch, Arsenal or someone else, and Mike Dean is the ref I just let out a big sigh and wait for his shit decisions, incessant interfering and blowing his whistle as if it was a vital part of his respiratory system. The wait is never long. That man is the epitome of a shit ref!
I think he is rather old though so maybe he will retire soon? That’s the only positive i can see regading mike dean
Atkinson and Taylor are working hard to take his place in shitting on us.
For Arsenal to finish third, Man city shouldn’t win Blogs. A draw for City also guarantees a 3rd spot even if we lose
Time for the law of averages to kick in and Kos to score 13 times from 11 corners and two lofted free kicks. Spurs to score at both ends in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle, Arsenal 2nd.
And a manufactured rumor that Aston Villa has scored to make it 13-1 in the 89th minute.
Never forget the two points we were robbed of when Rambo’s goal was ruled out against Liverpool.
Or that we were shit against teams we should have beaten
Like how we were unable to beat United u-21
Like how we were unable to beat United u-21
===
That was my moment this season. The moment I said, this team’s got nothing mentally, we’re never winning the title. We made their U-21 team look like world beaters.
Yes, but the point being , for better or worse, our performance this season was good enough to finish ahead of the totts had simply the rules been applied correctly…. Which is kind of annoying..
If we’d got a few more fair results we’d be a clear 2nd. Still disappointing but less so.
Think 13-0 is perfectly achievable against that Villa side!
We beat them 13-0 on aggregate last season in all competitions didn’t we?
It’s about time our very long standing record v Loughborough Town was broken. Strangely, they hold the record of our biggest win and biggest loss.
Every time I think we can steamroll the opposition, Arsenal manage to Arsenal it. I’m not counting on a win until we score at least 6 goals in the first half.
Fully expecting us to win 6-5, with Walcott scoring five, Gunnersaurus scoring one, Agbonlahor (is he still suspended by Villa?) scoring five. Then an opera singer will drive onto the pitch in a taxi, and two giant inflatable Sanchez-dogs will be paraded around. Then they’ll hand out £1k each to us from the huge cash mountain stored in the basement of Highbury House, for loyally turning up for the second – third – fourth place playoff.
This is as likely as Leicester winning the league, and I shall be sticking a fiver on it immediately.
But how about the AFHL (Away From Home League)? We can still win that right?
And the top four mini league!
And the most points against Leicester League table
Here’s my favourite scenario. The FA deduct 2 points for sp*rs and chelski not controlling their players like they famously did to us, we beat Aston vanilla and finish second. Ice creams all round and a slap up tea to follow. Just picture the joy on the little kids faces when we tell them yes there really is a St Totteringham.
Once the FA realizes that docking Spurs 2 points will benefit Arsenal, they’ll promptly shelve the idea. They are such utter tossers.
I think it’s too late now anyway. They reviewed that game and only Dembele got any form of punishment, although they’ll both get peanuts fines for failing to control their players.
I like the picture!
Arseblog News Hound, you have a good sense of humour like Arseblog!
I can’t tell if this is sarcastic.
You have a hard time telling the difference between sarcasm and sincerity like Arseblog!
No.
Together with the comment on the picture, I thought it would have been obvious.
I’m sorry to say it but it would bring me untold joy to finish above Spurs this season. Sometimes I read their blogs (which are lame) and so many of them in the comments have their hearts set on finishing above Arsenal. I want them to be utterly disappointed and remember who they are after this little title campaign. Plus, the fact that we’ve finished above them every single season is fucking dope, I really want that to continue. I can’t think of any sporting equivalent in the States where a team just completely owns its rival like Arsenal does… Read more »
Sorry, but can’t get excited about finishing above Spurs, after such a shambolic 2nd half to the season. Just glad we look like getting automatic qualification to CL and have less disruption to future plans and transfers (hopefully). The the whole Spuds thing seems a bit irrelevant this year.
It is literally the only thing left to play for
Yes and we are the away team champions hmmm maybe if we ignore the fact that we aren’t.
If there was absolutely no possibility of our finishing 4th, in that case
Mikel Arteta would have started the game with the Arm-band for one last time
Mat Flamini would have played alongside him at CDM
Tomas Rosicky would play at CAM
That midfield would have a combined age of 101!
It seems like yesterday that Rosicky cunted that ball in against Hamburg, or scored the goal to put us 3-2 up against Sp*rs. 😀
Or Arteta scoring that screamer against Man City. 🙂
Or Flamini pointing at somebody. Oh wait. 🙁 That probably was yesterday.
Finishing above Sp*rs the best we can hope for?
That it has come to this….honestly.
We used to finish above everyone a decade ago. Now we’re not even competing for top of the table. (note to the hard-of-thinking: no-one is asking to win anything, only to be challenging)
There used to be a football club here, y’know. Before OGL brainwashed you all.
Shame. Such a great shame.
With your name you should remember the days when top 4 was a thing to celebrate (but not as much as our FA Cup wins!).
If Liverpool qualify by winning the Europa, are they automatically placed in next years group stage, or do they get the playoff? Wondering if we still may have the playoff even if we finish third…
They’ll be in the group stages by virtue of Real and Atletico having already qualified for the group stages themselves (the Europa League winners get the place the Champions League winners would have had), doesn’t affect 3rd place.
who actually cares.
I have a question if anyone can help:
Can you think of any other Arsenal players from South London apart from Gibbo and Wrighty? I Know Cashley was at Palace but he’s originally from East London.
Just curious but still would like to know.
Off the top of my head: David Rocastle, Kevin Campbell, Michael Thomas, Paul Davis. Sure there are plenty more
And obviously the guy who stole me form Gatwick
Going back a bit – but Kenny Sansom joined us from Crystal Palace.
Let’s go for 13-0!
Didn’t we put 13 past Villa last season without reply?
13-0 would ONLY be enough if Tottenham drew, whilst scoring under 7 goals. I reckon we’ll win 13 – 0, only for Spurs to draw 7-7 and beat us to second on goals scored.
Who cares if it’s second, third or fourth? We’ve already qualified for a competition that we can’t win – not with this manager anyway. The real question is: “Should Wenger be Arsenal manager at the start of next season?” And the answer is, of course, “No.” I’ll make you all a prediction now: next season will be the one when when the shit really hits the fan. We are approaching a perfect storm. United, City and Chelsea will probably all be much better under new management. Spurs, West Ham and Liverpool will all continue to improve under excellent young bosses.… Read more »
Nothing new….always a possibility each season.
I don’t mind Arsene seeing out his contract but I agree that next season could be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Guardiola, Conte, Klopp, Pochettino, Koeman, Ranieri, Billic and possibly Mourinho and De Boer too. Not to mention Fat Sam. Tough.
I think this season was the one that broke the camel’s back, because never before have I seen so many people–with traditionally radically opposed viewpoints–in unanimous agreement that it’s probably time for Wenger to give an amicable wave goodbye. Even Arseblog and Tim Stillman!
It was a watershed year, if you ask me.
That’s dissipated again though in the last few weeks. Wenger’s stock has risen again ironically with help from some of the protesters leading the charge against him. Article up now on The Times offering him a new contract so I guess we’ll see where the middle ground you’re referencing stand on Wenger.
Enjoy your cricket Fats…?
The stakes are getting ever so higher in the epl and the gap between the teams is shrinking.
We have a good group of players that can still guarantee top 4 next season (if Alexis and Ozil stay).
All Arsene needs to do is to sign those quality players that will improve the first team – a minimum of 3: a CB, CM and ST. If he does that, we will have a great chance of sustaining a title challenge next season.
Bayern and Dortmund have done deals already. That is the spirit…Arsene, over to you.
“Sp*rs draw and Arsenal win 13-0” This is obviously the easiest to achieve.
Probably third behind Spurs. Newcastle have nothing to play for now. Better finish in top four than not. Last two seasons we had FA cup wins so we have not exactly been stagnant but this season was an opportunity miss and we have gone backwards slightly even if we should finish in second. Having said that, the media had it that the title was Chelsea’s to lose and surprise surprise they duly obliged.:D Plus later the media changed tune to City because of the massive spending and they didn’t do it either. Nor did we of course. But if Leicester… Read more »
Zero mentions of flamini… impressive 🙂
Transferleague says Leicester spent £35m, but agree with the sentiment.
I was thinking that St Totteringhams day by definition can not happen as it surely only counts before the last day of the season. The last day is the final tally so it’s not possible surely?