Sky Sports Pundit Declares Arsenal's Improvement Will Dent Chelsea & Man Utd's Top 4 Hopes
Former Arsenal and Scotland striker Charlie Nicholas is growing in confidence that his former club could qualify for the Champions League this season.
After back-to-back defeats at the start of the season at the hands of Manchester City and Chelsea, the Gunners have now won four Premier League games on the bounce.
Nicholas admits Unai Emery’s side have got many improvements still to make, especially defensively, but he has been impressed with Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s flourishing strike partnership.
The Sky Sports Soccer Saturday pundit believes their main competitors for a top four place, Chelsea and Man Utd, are unlikely to improve much throughout the season.
"My prediction at the start of the season was that Arsenal and Chelsea were going to be the two to miss out because there was too much to-ing and fro-ing," he added.
"I think that gap has closed for them because Man United are average and Spurs are struggling a little bit. There is still that confusion between defence and attack that takes too long to get going. Saying that, Sunday's win over Everton was a first clean sheet, a confidence builder."
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"If the improvement gradually carries on, I don't see Chelsea or Man United being so much better. I am a little bit more hopeful than I was at the start of the season."
Lacazette and Aubameyang both scored in the 2-0 win over Everton and are linking up nicely under Emery.
The game against the Toffee's was the third time in the last five league games both strikers had started together and that they both found the back of the net.
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When quizzed on their importance to Arsenal, the 56-year-old said: "[They are] Massive, they are vital.
“When strikers score goals confidence is high, people trust them and you can feel it in the stadium now.
"Aubameyang feels a bit more comfortable with Lacazette in the team and playing slightly wider. They have got a bit of a partnership here, it's not Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke but it's heading in the right direction and that is the most positive thing for the Gunners."
