Gary Neville believes Arsenal will finish sixth in the Premier League this season, leaving Manchester United and Chelsea to battle it out for the remaining top-four spot.
Unai Emery’s Gunners slipped two places in the table this weekend after losing to Manchester City and seeing United and Chelsea both win.
With 13 games of the season remaining, Arsenal are one point behind revitalised Manchester United and three adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea.
Emery admitted on Sunday that Arsenal needed ‘big help’ to finish in the top four and Neville cannot see the Gunners making up the ground on United or Chelsea.
He told Sky Sports: ‘Unai Emery is doing the best job that he possibly could do. It’s a squad that needs additions and it needs change.
‘He needs to sail that ship into shore, some need to disembark and the ones that he wants to get back on need to sail back out to sea with him.
‘This first season for him is all about working out which players are going to be on the ship next season and testing out different things.
‘He’s finding out a lot about his players all the time. For instance, Matteo Guendouzi was fantastic against Manchester City.
‘He’s 19-years-old and that was a really good performance. Emery can build around things like that.
‘Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is always a threat but with the rest of the team there’s a lot to work on. It does need some change, but he will need time.
‘He might even need all next season as well. We shouldn’t really be rushing Unai Emery and Arsenal in respect of what he’s trying to achieve at the club.’
The Manchester United legend added: ‘Looking at the team I think sixth is about right to be honest.
‘I watched Manchester United at Leicester and they look stronger now. When you look at Manchester United’s forward line with Marcus Rashford, Alexis Sanchez, Romelu Lukaku and Anthony Martial, Arsenal haven’t got that.
‘Even in midfield United have got Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera and they are now looking stronger at the back.
‘Arsenal will end up sixth and it’s between Manchester United and Chelsea for fourth and fifth.’
