Strong possibility that Arsenal could finish outside the top four

Arsenal ended an inconsistent 2017 with a constroversial 1-1 at West
Brom in the last Premier League match of year just gone by.

That draw meant that Arsene Wenger's side have failed to win
back-to-back away Premier League match this season. They only have
just three away win all season. Which came against Crystal Palace,
Burnley and Everton.

Arsenal's away form this season mirrors the theme of the 2017 calender
year which was mired by bouts of inconsistencies. The club suffered
the most defeat in a calender year under Wenger's reign for the first
time.

Without the eight wins from 10 home games this season, which have help
birth a return of 38 points, the situation could be a lot worse than
it is now.

That 38 points is only good enough for fifth position at the moment,
with Liverpool in 4th place on 44 points having played a game more.
The other contender for the top four, Tottenham, are on 37 points,
having played a game or two less depending on the teams.

Now when the form of the other contenders are compared to Arsenal,
there is real likelihood that Arsenal could be in danger of finishing
outside the top four for a second season running.

Arsenal have just two wins from their last seven Premier League
matches. And from a possible 21 points, they have garnered a poor
return of 10 points, dropping aways 11 points in that time. And to
make matters worse for Wenger, those matches came against teams they
were expected to beat. The likes of West Ham, Southampton and West
Brom. Which all ended in draws.

It doesn't matter the team Arsenal are up against in the league, once
the match is outside the Emirates, the team has struggled to produce
consistently on the road this season. A return of just three wins from
eleven away matches is hugely poor return for a club the status of
Arsenal.

Besides, the inconsistent away form this season, the inability of the
team to produce any semblance of a fluent display this season on the
road is another characteristic of what has been another poor domestic
campaign for the Gunners.

If the race to finish in the top four was down to the traditional four
teams of the past, there would have been few concerns that Arsenal
wouldn't finish within that bracket at the end of the season. But with
the teams that fight for a top four finish now as strong as six,
Arsenal could potentially suffer the risk of sitting out for another
year. The position is effectively down to just three positions, as
Manchester City have effectively sealed qualification for the
Champions League next season.

After Wednesday's match against Chelsea, there would be just 16
Premier League matches left this season. What this means, is that If
Arsenal's away form doesn't improve, the club should start bracing
itself for another year without Champions League football.

There is no guarantee that the home form that has accounted for eight
wins from 10 games would continue, especially with games against
Chelsea and Manchester City still to come. They still have to visit
Old Trafford and Wembley to play Manchester United and Tottenham
respectively.

With the form Liverpool are in and having strengthened with the
signing of Virgil, there have only increased the possibility of
finishing the season with a flourish.

Arsenal have already played a direct rival for the top four race in
Liverpool twice, taking just one point from a possible six. They still
have to play Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United and Manchester
City, starting with the former. Taking point off their direct rival
would boost their chances of a top four finish, but it is the
performance against the less endowed teams that would determine
Arsenal's position at the end of the season, yet the evidence of that
so far as been very poor.