Bernd Leno has predicted Arsenal will finish in third place in the Premier League, one place above of Sp*rs, with Liverpool losing out on the title to Manchester City.
While the Germany international is confident about the Gunners chances of qualifying for the Champions League, he admits it’ll be tough for us to achieve our aim given the challenges that lie ahead both domestically and in Europe.
Speaking ahead of this week’s trips to Wolves and Leicester, our keeper peered into his crystal ball…presumably before our neighbours edged last night’s win over Brighton.
“[It will be] Manchester City first, because Liverpool also have the Champions League, so maybe they will lose some power and energy from that,” he told Sky Sports.
“I believe they have a realistic chance against Barcelona, it’s 50-50, but City only have the FA Cup final and the Premier League.
“I think at the end it will then be us and Tottenham. I believe in our quality and we have everything in our own hands. I don’t mind about the other teams though, if we are in the top four everything is OK for me!”
In the Europa League, Arsenal have a double-header with Unai Emery’s former club Valencia on the horizon and then the prospect of facing top-four rivals Chelsea in the final in Baku.
It certainly doesn’t look like an easier route back to Europe’s top table.
“Both ways are very difficult,” he added. “We play Valencia, who are a strong team, then in the final we could play Chelsea. That is very difficult and in the Premier League we have three away games.
“I can’t say which way is more difficult…We have to focus on every game and win against Wolves. I think 10 points could be enough, but I don’t know.”
Sunday’s defeat to Crystal Palace may have once again highlighted our defensive deficiencies – more team than individual, according to the boss – but that doesn’t mean that we haven’t improved this season. Well, that’s what Leno thinks. The German also maintains that staying strong at the back will decide his teammates’ fate.
“The key is the defence,” Leno said. “You saw the last few weeks we won games because the defence was good and we didn’t concede easy goals.
“If we can have more clean sheets away then we have big chances to win games because with our strikers we have such big qualities and chances to score. The defence will be the key.
“When you compare to the start of the season we have improved a lot. In 2019 we haven’t conceded as many goals as 2018.
“It was also a change with the new manager and style to play from the back and to have the ball, that is different for the defenders. The basics of the defence are very good.”
This man has become a beast between the sticks
‘The key is the defence’
Aka don’t play mustafi for fock sake!
Pretty transparent if you ask me!!!
Thank fuck Sok is back today
I stuck a couple a quid of Papa getting a goal tonight. He is due (and deserves) a PL goal
?
Mustafi has 3 goals this season.
Plus Torreira gave up 4 goals against BHA, Soton away, Liverpool and West Ham.
So don’t play Torreira too?
good call.
Cheers
About the only good thing
Good pick
There’s no one or the other for me. I want the Europa League and a top 4 finish.
Thing is if we get a top four spot the pressure is off and thus more likely, in my opinion, to win Europa
i want a Europa League, a 3rd place finish and those lots out in the champions league final or semi-final!!! they could have 4th for all i care…..
We need to win away against both Wolves and Leicester and hope Tots to drop points to go 3rd.
Realistically, its Everton that will pose a problem, other 2 games, they will be the favourites.
We missed the opportunity to go 3rd last weekend. Now it’s not in our hands.
4th and EL are in our hands. We can’t afford any slip-ups.
Guess that wasn’t even a motivation for our players the last two games.
This would be a perfect season for us #Arsenal fraternity.
how emery’s job will be viewed upon really boils down to whether we make the cl. end up sixth but win the el, this season – with all our bad luck with injuries – would still feel like a success to me, more so than finishing 3rd and losing the final narrowly. a trophy is a trophy.
i think we’ll end up 4th and without a trophy, which will be a shame but at least it’s back to the cl. whst do you think?
I think it will be 1 Abu Dhabi City; 2 LiverPoo; 3 We brew our own beer FC, 4 Chelski, 5. The Arsenal: 6 Man Who.
I think not.
Chelsea are only a point ahead of us and they’ve played a game more. They still have to play watford and go to Man Utd and Leicester. Don’t think they’ll finish above us. Same for Man Utd. 2 points behind us and they still play City and Chelsea. If we can perform away like we did at Napoli and maybe even at Watford and not like at Everton I think we should be good for a top 4 spot.
We need to play all our remaining fixtures as if each of them was a Final. We really have to go with Passionate Anger. We can finish 3rd and still lift the Europa league title.
Agree. And the best available eleven needs to play every game, we can’t afford to rest players as that seems to be costing us points
I don’t think anyone will be rested tonight or against Leicester. We really need to go full force now. Maybe one or two will be rested against Brighton. I would also start to play Leno now in the Europa League too; Cech has been a great servant and maybe can be a goalkeeper coach for us next season, but there’s no time for sentiment now.
I doubt anyone will be rested tonight or against Leicester. We really need to go full force now. Maybe one or two will be rested against Brighton. I would also start to play Leno in the Europa League; Cech has been a great servant and maybe can be a goalkeeper coach for us next season, but there’s no time for sentiment now and Leno is on great form.
I’ve been saying that about Leno and Cech for a while and keep getting downvoted. We want to win so should be playing the best available keeper at this stage of the competition
I think he should also be starting against Valencia next week. I know it’s a cold hearted decision, but he’s simply a better keeper than Cech at this point.
No, that’s not good at all, you can’t keep Cech in the bench for leno to start ahead of him..
Why not?
That photo is deeply unsettling. Like someone is wearing Leno’s skin on their face.
Top four is one thing but we want to ideally finish above the Great Pretenders.
We’re still very much in it so hopefully we can grind out the result today.