Ex-Arsenal defender Martin Keown believes his former club may find it hard to hang on to the coattails of Manchester City at the top of the table but he is backing both the Gunners and Tottenham to finish in the top four.

The BT pundit says that, while he has no doubts that the two North London rivals will secure Champions League qualification, he is less certain about Chelsea’s chances:

“When you think about how strong Manchester City are, it’s about staying in the running and trying to stay ahead of Spurs. I predicted at the start of the season that these two would make it into the top four, that might be a difficult season for Chelsea – there is still a long way to go in that.”

While it’s fine for Arsenal supporters to dream of winning the title, Keown’s remarks do paint a more realistic picture of Arsenal’s ambitions this campaign.

It will be very difficult to keep up with the pace that Manchester City set across the course of the whole season, especially with Mikel Arteta having a rather threadbare squad in some areas.

If the Gunners are still in contention at the top by January, though, and they can bring in some reinforcements, then the club’s ambitions should be reassessed.