Against Man Utd, Arsenal must take golden opportunity to finish in top four
Should Arteta complete the job, he has said that his plans will be accelerated as there will be more money to spend and the club will be a more attractive proposition
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta could not have been more clear this week when he said that it would be a game-changer if Arsenal qualify for the Champions League.
On one level the Arsenal manager is under pressure to show that the club are reaping the rewards of his changes and their record spending last summer after finishing eighth in his two seasons in charge.
On another level, securing a top-four place is more important than ever for Arsenal approaching a summer in which three of their closest rivals — Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United — will have good reason to strengthen, no matter where they finish in the Premier League table.
Chelsea are the only one of the quartet who can probably count on being in the Champions League next season. The club hope to imminently welcome a new owner, who may need to replace several stars ready to leave on free transfers.
Manchester United, who travel to Arsenal this lunchtime, plan a reset and are expected to hand more than £120 million to Erik ten Hag, their new manager, whose appointment was announced on Thursday.
Tottenham, ahead of Arsenal on goal difference and three points clear of United, know that Antonio Conte will expect significant backing in the transfer market if he is to commit fully to the club for next season.
Should Arteta complete the job, he has said that his plans will be accelerated as there will be more money to spend and the club will be a more attractive proposition.
They encountered a stumbling block in January when trying to sign Dusan Vlahovic, the forward who preferred a £62.8 million move to Juventus from Fiorentina, partly because he wanted to play in the Champions League.
Arsenal will be competing with United to sign at least one striker and have much work to do to replenish a squad of 18 senior players despite a net spend of more than £140 million in the summer.
Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah, their two strikers, are expected to leave on free transfers at the end of the season, followed by most of the players who have been on loan, including Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Héctor Bellerín and Lucas Torreira. Bernd Leno and Granit Xhaka could also depart.
Fail to finish in the top four and Arsenal will have gone six seasons in a row without Champions League football and missed out on about £200 million. Arteta has suggested that he will receive financial backing from the owners regardless, but failure could restrict his budget and the calibre of players willing to join.
Arsenal will travel to Tottenham for what could be a top-four decider on May 12. Should Tottenham secure Champions League qualification, they would feel confident of keeping Harry Kane and providing Conte with the players he wants. Tottenham slipped up against Brighton & Hove Albion last week but, on paper, they have the easier set of fixtures, save for playing away to the title-chasing Liverpool on May 7.
