Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur will not finish in the top four of the Premier League this season, says Stan Collymore.
Tottenham finished second in the league table last season after ending up third in the standings during the 2015-16 campaign.
Spurs have steadily progressed under manager Mauricio Pochettino, who took charge of the North London club in the summer of 2014.
However, Collymore does not expect Tottenham to clinch a Champions League place during the 2017-18 campaign.
The former Liverpool striker has also predicted Arsenal to end up outside the top four. The Gunners finished fifth in the Premier League last season.
Collymore has predicted Chelsea to successfully defend their Premier League title, Manchester City to finish runners-up, and Manchester United and Liverpool to end up third and fourth respectively in the standings.
“That’s my top four – and that’s a blow for Arsenal and Spurs,” Collymore wrote in The Mirror. “Tottenham are as good as anyone 1-11 but it’s disappointing that so far Mauricio Pochettino hasn’t recruited players who can say to Harry Kane and Dele Alli: ‘Hey, I’m going to take your shirt’.
“Unless you buy top-quality players to create competition and show you are moving forward then you are backpedaling and I fear Spurs may be outgunned.
“For Arsenal, new £52million striker Alexandre Lacazette will score plenty of goals but the Gunners are too nice.
“There’s no spice to their game and in the arms race at the top of the table that’s critical. I’m afraid I’ve not seen anything this summer to persuade me it won’t be the ‘same old Arsenal’.”
Tottenham have yet to make a signing in the summer transfer window and have also lost England international right-back Kyle Walker to Premier League title rivals Manchester United.
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