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For the first time in over two months, Arsenal have won back-to-back games in the Premier League against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford. The Gunners have been very inconsistent in recent weeks, winning just two of their last seven games across competitions, but they are still in the top-four race.
Mikel Arteta's men have missed Champions League football for four straight seasons and European football for over two decades. However, they have a very good chance of returning to European club football’s blue-riband competition.
Whether they return to the competition, though, will largely depend on the consistency of their performances. On Thursday, Arteta’s side will take on Wolverhampton Wanderers in one of their three outstanding games in the Premier League.
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Should they win, Arsenal will move up to fifth in the league table, overtaking West Ham United and edging to within a point of fourth-placed Manchester United.
Gunners facing direct top-four rival
The downside to facing Wolves is that the latter are just two points behind, making them one of the teams in contention for a Champions League place.
Bruno Lage’s side are one of the most improved teams in the Premier League, having won seven of their last ten games in all competitions. Wolves will also be coming into Thursday’s game on the back of morale-boosting wins against Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City.
Wolves’ form suggests this won’t be an easy ride for Arsenal. The Gunners remain the only side to have beaten Wolves in the league since the start of the year, but the clash was very close. They won the match 0-1 but played with 10 men in the last 30 minutes of the game.
With the top-four race heating up, both teams will be desperate for all three points. Arsenal, though, will be playing at home and must prove that they want it more. The Gunners are facing a direct top-four rival and must not slack this time.
Arsenal have to seize the moment
As things stand, the Gunners are in a better position to qualify for the Champions League than any of their rivals. They have three games in hand and should they win all of them, they will move five points clear of Manchester United.
Clearly, Arteta’s side have their Champions League destiny in their own hands and must go all out for victory against Wolves.
“I think it (top-four race) will be a bit of a rollercoaster,” Arteta said ahead of the game, as quoted by Arsenal.com.
“There will be moments when a team opens up a bit of a gap, then it catches up. You see the fixtures we all have to play, and they are extremely tricky. We will see. I think, for the club, this is where we want to play (in the Champions League), and this has to be the aim for every year, playing amongst the best teams in the world, and that's what we want to do.”
Qualifying for the Champions League won’t come easy, but Arteta’s men have to be consistent to keep their chances alive. Anything less, and the Gunners’ European hopes could be dealt a huge blow.
