---
title: "Arsenal: Club legend backs Gunners for Champions League spot"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/arsenal-club-legend-backs-gunners-for-champions-league-spot/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Stephan Georgiou"
section: "Arsenal Football Club"
published: "2019-07-19T21:05:32Z"
modified: "2019-07-19T21:05:32Z"
---

# Arsenal: Club legend backs Gunners for Champions League spot

![](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Pundits-choice.png)

**Arsenal legend Perry Groves feels the club have to “be realistic” with their hopes of success next season – but suggests that fourth place is well within The Gunners’ reach in 2019/20.**

Unai Emery’s side agonisingly missed out on a [Champions League](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48368406) berth on [two fronts](https://www.arsenal.com/first-team/tables?season=5895) last year, but Groves is counting on the “turmoil” at some of their top-six rivals to give Arsenal a fighting chance in achieving a first CL spot in [four years](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-arsenal/platzierungen/verein/11) come the end of the next campaign.

Speaking up his former side’s chances of a top-four finish on [TalkSPORT](https://talksport.com/football/574459/arsenal-premier-league-perry-groves/), Groves admitted Arsenal are no longer one of the best in England, but Champions League qualification is still very much on the cards.

He said: “I know we’re battling to be best of the rest again. Realistically, that’s fourth.

“Manchester United are in a bit of turmoil – Solskjaer is not going to be good enough. Chelsea are in a little bit of turmoil; they can’t sign any players.

“So fourth place is really going to be competitive and I want us to be in a position to be able to compete.

“I know it shows how far we’ve dropped, competing for fourth place – but we’ve got to be realistic.”

Arsenal have not finished in the top four since their [second-place](https://www.skysports.com/premier-league-table/2015) finish in 2016, when they were runners-up to Leicester City.

A Europa League triumph would have bypassed their failure to achieve a top-four finish, though their Champions League dream ended after their emphatic final defeat to [Chelsea](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48368406).

However, the [singular point](https://www.arsenal.com/first-team/tables?season=5895) between themselves and the top four will surely give The Gunners hope considering the struggles of their rivals that Groves alludes to.

Given Arsenal only lost one of their [league matches](https://uk.soccerway.com/teams/england/arsenal-fc/660/matches/) against Chelsea, United and Spurs last season, The Gunners have previous of performing in the bigger games under Unai Emery.

Unless a surprise candidate emerges, something will have to give between the vying clubs – though with Chelsea [unable to buy players](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47329293) and Manchester United having not won in the league [since April](https://uk.soccerway.com/teams/england/manchester-united-fc/662/matches/) – Arsenal could yet find themselves well-positioned for a top-four place come May.