Arsenal legend Ian Wright does not believe that the Gunners will finish in the European places this season despite an upturn in form under manager Mikel Arteta in recent weeks.

The London club have won their last three league games against Newcastle, Everton and West Ham, but Wright is pessimistic about their chances of finishing in the top six, and he feels their ambitions may be restricted to winning the FA Cup:

“I think top six may be out of sight, I know top four is with the way it’s gone. The expectation now is to finish the season well, maybe have a good run in the cup.”

“Give the manager the opportunity in the summer to try and bring the kind of players that he wants, to implement the style that he wants to play. Defensively they’re a lot more solid, there’s been an improvement in players, and the intensity of the team.”

Wright is usually more positive about Arsenal’s chances so his prediction is pretty surprising, to say the least. The Gunners are currently only three points off the top six and are eight points off Chelsea in fourth, with a game in hand.

Champions League qualification is, therefore, a longshot at the moment, unless the Blues’ form dips, but Europa League qualification is still very much a possibility either through the league or the FA Cup. With ten games to go, we won’t have to wait long to find out.