Arsenal’s hopes of a top four finish have taken an almighty dent in the past week and after back to back league defeats, questions are being asked as to whether the Gunners are going to fall at the final hurdle.
Much has been made of the fact that Unai Emery’s men have been largely indifferent on the road this season and therefore, their recent home loss to local rivals Crystal Palace would have come as something of a shock.
Not only that, but it was far from ideal preparation for a midweek trip to Molineux – a ground that has seen a number of “Big Six” scalps already this season and now you can add Arsenal to the list of names that Wolves have got the better of at home.
Life doesn’t get any easier for Arsenal, as this Sunday they are once again on the road and this time it is visit to Leicester that awaits them and with the Foxes still in with an outside chance of a top seven finish, they will be in no mood to rollover.
Last Saturday, saw Leicester snatch a point against West Ham and although it is an addition to their points tally, the fact that they’ve earned just one from the last six available, has meant that their hopes of a Europa League place have stalled somewhat.
However, with the ever changing nature of the battle for seventh place and the inconsistencies of form that those competitors are showing, manager Brendan Rodgers knows that a win on Sunday will propel them straight back into the hunt.
Not only that, but with Arsenal playing in the Europa League next Thursday, it does pose something of an interesting dilemma for Unai Emery and that comes down to, just how strong a starting eleven will he choose for the trip to the King Power?
With a Champions League place still in their hands, then it arguably makes little sense to rest and rotate at this stage, although at the same time, it could well be that the Europa League offers the path of least resistance in terms of trying to return to Europe’s premier club competition.
If Arsenal are not successful on Sunday, then you get the feeling that the Europa League would then become their overriding priority. However, the brief for the Arsenal players will be to bounce back after a miserable showing on Wednesday night.
Then again, with them once again being away from the Emirates, it does make one wonder if they are going to face the same issues as Wednesday and especially against a Leicester outfit who have been resurgent under new manager Brendan Rodgers.
If Arsenal can pick up three points, then it will only go on to add more pressure on both the shoulders Chelsea and Manchester United – who themselves, face each other just a couple of hours later at Old Trafford.
That said, getting a win over Leicester is a task that is easier said than done and therefore, don’t be all that surprised if the Foxes cause problems for the Gunners and this one ends up with honours being even.