Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Arsenal will finish above Manchester United and Chelsea because of TWO players - Laurens
ARSENAL will finish in the Premier League top four this season because of the return of two key midfielders.
Arsenal will finish in Premier League top four says Laurens
That is according to European football expert and ESPN FC pundit Julien Laurens.
Arsenal are sixth in the Premier League table heading into Monday’s visit to Vicarage Road to face Watford.
A win in Hertfordshire would take the Gunners fourth, above Manchester United and Chelsea and still with a game in hand over the latter.
Arsenal have the 10th best away record in the top flight but Laurens believes they will be boosted by the return of Lucas Torreira and Granit Xhaka.
I think the return of Lucas Torreira for example, even Granit Xhaka to a certain extent, will bring a bit more steel
Torreira is available for the Watford clash after completing a three-match suspension following his straight red card against Tottenham last month.
Xhaka has not played a league match since the 2-0 win over Manchester United on March 10 due to a groin injury suffered on international duty with Switzerland.
Laurens believes the duo will add steel to the midfield that was missing in the 2-0 loss at Everton eight days ago.
“I’ve got Tottenham and Arsenal [to finish in the top four],” Laurens said.
“It’s just because I think Arsenal at some point will have to play well away from home, it can’t always be like at Everton.
“I think the Everton defeat and the discussion of the players and [Unai] Emery had after that game was all about ‘we can’t keep playing away from home like we play at home because that doesn’t work. We can’t have the same attitude that we have at home away from home, because that doesn’t work’.
“If you go away from home thinking that you can play your fancy football without being aggressive, without being physical, then you’re going to get beaten.
“That’s exactly what happened at Everton and also other away matches earlier in the season.
“So I think, well I hope, they are finally aware that for the remaining games away this season, which is Watford away, Wolves away, Leicester away and Burnley away, they’re not going to approach those games in the same way that they approached the Everton game, which was clearly not good enough at all.
“And I think the return of Lucas Torreira for example, even Granit Xhaka to a certain extent, will bring a bit more steel into that midfield.
“They were too lightweight against Everton for example.”