Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher does expect Arsenal to qualify for the Champions League this campaign.

While he still feels that Tottenham will finish above the Gunners in the table, Carragher believes both North London clubs could displace Chelsea in the top four:

“I think Tottenham can take Chelsea’s place almost the team behind the top-two, pushing a little bit. All the other teams, bar Chelsea are going for the top four. I think Manchester United will be better because they have a better manager – but I am going to go for Arsenal (for top four).”

Considering the instability caused by the takeover at Chelsea, Carragher is right to point out that the Blues are the ones most at risk of losing out on Champions League football, and Arsenal do look like the team best placed to take advantage of the situation.

There are question marks over whether manager Mikel Arteta has improved the squad depth sufficiently, after his team ran out of steam last season, but they have made some smart additions in the transfer market.

Pre-season has been excellent, and fans are very optimistic about having a successful campaign, but we will find out a lot more about their top four credentials when they play their first competitive game against Crystal Palace on Friday night.