With a 4-1 defeat to their city rivals, United lost not only the game, but also the ranking in the table. Before the Manchester City derby, Arsenal had come back in the 4th place in the table with a narrow 3-2 win, and they had played three games less than Manchester United. However, in this case, Arteta's side is still looked down upon, and Manchester United star Gary Neville insists that his old club will eventually be in the top four. Some of Sky Sports's pundits also have little confidence in Arsenal.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Neville said: "I still think Manchester United can be in the top four and I don't fully trust Arsenal. But United still have a long way to go to overtake the Gunners in the top four. "In Neville's view, Tottenham Hotspur are United's biggest rivals for the fourth place, so a direct dialogue between the two teams this weekend is crucial. Spurs beat Everton 5-0 in this round, just three points from the top four and only two points from Manchester United. In terms of the number of games, they also have 2 fewer games than Manchester United. So if they win the next round, Spurs will be leaving United straight behind. And even if United wins, they will have to wait for other teams to help block it.
However, neither Manchester United nor Tottenham Hotspur can ignore the young arsenal. Arteta's side have only lost to Manchester City in the last 10 Premier League rounds, and it is a controversial defeat, winning eight of the remaining 9 games and the last 4 of which they have won by 12 points. After sending off former captain Aubameyang in the winter window, the Gunners, who had smoothed out the locker room relationship, exploded into a powerful fighting force, and the main players such as Lacazette, Saka, Odegaard and Martinelli were all in good shape.
But what is more favorable to the Gunners' fight for four is their schedule. Prior to this, Arteta's team had been out of the League Cup and FA Cup, and the next thing they had to face was the Premier League, of course, opponents such as Liverpool, Leicester City, Manchester United and West Ham United were all very strong, but three games less also made the Gunners have a higher fault tolerance rate. As a young team, the Gunners are at a disadvantage in terms of game experience, but if they are let go crazy, being as strong as Manchester City is also a headache.
On the other hand, Manchester United not only has 3 more matches, but also has thorns in the schedule. Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester City and Chelsea are all big rivals on their four roads. Of course, Manchester United's biggest problem is still from the inside, the number one star C Ronaldo and the head coach Lonnick are full of contradictions, and most of the other Manchester United players have no intention of fighting. This summer, 16 players, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Pogba, are uncertain, Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Mata and Cavani have expired their contracts, C Ronaldo may seek to leave the team if Manchester United cannot qualify for the Champions League, even Rashford has a heart, plus Greenwood who is in prison, and Anthony Martial, who is on loan to Sevilla, Manchester United can be described as a chicken feather. So in this case, Neville is still optimistic about the old owner, it is estimated that it is the love from the heart, which has nothing to do with the competitive level.