Hargreaves backs Tottenham to still finish above Arsenal this season

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Owen Hargreaves has told Optus Sport that he does not see Arsenal finishing in the top-four this season, instead backing Tottenham Hotspur to book their return to the Champions League.

A bizarre weekend saw the race open right up again. Tottenham started by losing to Brighton just when it seemed that Antonio Conte’s side had all the momentum to potentially go and seal fourth at a canter.

That opened the door for Arsenal. However, it was Manchester United who put themselves fifth by beating Norwich.

Mikel Arteta’s side meanwhile, suffered their third straight defeat. They were beaten 1-0 by Southampton.

Interestingly, it is still in Arsenal’s hands. They have a game in hand over their rivals. And it was largely down to an inspired Fraser Forster display that the Gunners did not take any points from St Mary’s.

However, Hargreaves believes that Arsenal will fall short. He backed Conte’s men to recover from Saturday and finish fourth.

“They’ve struggled with Palace, Brighton and now today. Looking at Arsenal’s fixtures now, I’d say no. They’re close but if you’re losing these games and not scoring and then you’ve got to go and play those guys there. It makes it really difficult,” he told Optus Sport.

“Arsenal with their fixtures I’m going to say no. Manchester United are too inconsistent. Tottenham, with the way they play normally – outside of today – should be able to do the job.”

North London derby between Tottenham and Arsenal remains absolutely crucial in battle for top-four

With Arsenal losing two, and Spurs winning four on the spin, it did appear that the race for the top-four may be done by the time the two meet towards the end of the campaign.

That may still be the case. Arsenal simply cannot find a way to score at the moment. They have found the back of the net twice in their last five.

But the likelihood of that North London derby having a massive say in the top-four race is increasing. Tottenham are running out of time to pull clear.

And of course, Manchester United cannot yet be ruled out. They face Arsenal this weekend.

A point each for the pair could be fantastic for Tottenham.