Martin Keown couldn’t believe it after he was asked on BBC One’s Football Focus whether Arsenal can finish in the top four this season.
The Highbury legend made it clear that Arsenal will be just happy with a Europa League finish given their current situation.
Arsenal are sitting eleventh in the Premier League table on 31 points – one point behind today’s opponents Leeds, who are in tenth, having played a game more.
Keown made that point as Football Focus presenter Dan Walker asked him this following question about what they can do this season.
Walker asked: ‘Do either of you (Keown and Alex Scott) confidently say that you will see them finishing in the top four this season?’
“I cannot believe you are even asking that, Dan,” said Keown. “Top four? Well, at the moment they have even played a game more than Leeds and they are below them in the table right now.
“If they can finish in the Europa League places then they will be happy with that.”
What’s more worrying for those in North London is that they are six points behind the Europa League places having played two games extra.
Even if they go on a really strong run, it may only just result in them securing a comfortable top ten finish and nothing more.
It will also be interesting to see how Mikel Arteta will be assessed by those at the Emirates if European football isn’t delivered at the end of the campaign.
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