Premier League Legend John Barnes Predicts Where Unai Emery's Arsenal Will Finish This Season

Liverpool legend John Barnes has claimed that Unai Emery's Arsenal should prepare for another year in the Champions League wilderness.

The Gunners have have missed out on a Premier League top four place for the last two seasons. 

Despite a new manager in the form of Spaniard Emery, who has brought with him new expectations and fresh hope, Barnes predicted the former Paris Saint-Germain boss won't be able to reinvigorate the Gunners enough to take the back into Europe’s elite competition right away.

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Barnes doesn’t foresee Arsenal reaching the hallowed land of the Champions League for at least another two years, telling the Daily Express:“I think Arsenal will miss out."

The north London side reached the final of the competition in 2006 but were defeated 2-1 by Barcelona. But for seven seasons following their 2009/10 campaign, Arsenal failed to progress past the round of 16 stage.

“Man Utd would have to address this disharmony within the squad,” Barnes added when asked for his top four prediction. “They’ve got a top squad and manager but the harmony isn’t great.

On the fight for the top four spots, he predicted: “It's going to be between Tottenham, Chelsea and United," adding "Liverpool and City will be in there.”

Arsenal have had one of the toughest possible starts to a Premier League season. Manchester City beat Emery’s side 2-0 on the opening day and home soil, before Chelsea added a 3-2 defeat to the Spaniard’s record.

That start began to build negative momentum, but that was arrested by a much needed 3-1 win over east London outfit West Ham before a 3-2 win over Cardiff.

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Arsenal face a trip to Newcastle when the Premier League returns this weekend after the international break, before their Europa League campaign gets underway in 10 days.

The Spaniard’s side drew Sporting CP, Qarabag FK and FK Vorskla Poltava in their Europa League group.