Matthew Upson predicts where Arsenal will finish this season
Matthew Upson is tipping Arsenal to just end up outside of the top four in the Premier League this season
Matthew Upson believes that Arsenal will end up just outside of the top four in the Premier League table this season.
The Gunners are currently preparing for their first full season under new manager Mikel Arteta as they bid to try and challenge for a top-four finish in the top flight this term.
Arsenal ended up in eighth place in the Premier League table last season after Arteta was drafted in to replace Unai Emery at The Emirates back in December of last year.
The north London side have shown plenty of positive signs of improvement under Arteta and they won the FA Cup last season after having beaten Chelsea FC in the final in August.
The Gunners also beat Premier League champions Liverpool FC in the Community Shield at the end of August to start the new campaign on a positive note.
Former Arsenal defender Upson has been encouraged by what he has seen from the Gunners under their new manager so far, but he feels that they are likely to come up short in the race for Champions League qualification this season.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Upson said: “Leaving them [Arsenal] out of my four was a very difficult decision.
“I don’t have one question mark over Arteta – he is the main positive, who has made them harder to play against and has improved his players individually.
“They have made some good signings too, but maybe the squad is not quite ready this year.”
Arsenal will kick off their Premier League campaign with a trip to Fulham on Saturday lunchtime as they aim to get their season off to a positive start.
The Gunners have not won the Premier League title since their famous unbeaten triumph in the 2003-04 campaign.
