Arsene Wenger's holiday wish is to see Arsenal begin the new year in top-four position on the Premiership table. Speaking ahead of Tuesday's game against Wolverhampton Wanderers, he emphasized the importance of maximum focus in every match, no matter who the opponent is.
We know we have an opportunity to gain a better position on the table. It's down to us to do our job, In the Premier League the Christmas period is vital to get your points.
We have responded well to our defeat at Man City with a win at Aston Villa, so now it's down to us to do the job at home and get the points against Wolves on Tuesday. Every game has its own difficulty so what is important for us is to focus on our own game and perform well.
In the Premier League if you don't focus then you don't win, so let's focus on our next game and try to win it.
We have learned that you win only if you are at your best. That's the difficult, to combine the Christmas period with focus.
The wish to finish among the top four is one that will resonate with Arsenal fans, especially when Tottenham Hotspur sit two spots above Arsenal.
For a club that considers finishing above its North London rival a normal routine, seeing itself chasing its "inferior" neighbor is almost too difficult take. For players and fans, then, it's essential that Arsenal don't lose the Champions League spot to Spurs.
For Gooners this picture proves the superiority of Arsenal to Spurs. See here.
But whether Arsenal can begin the year in the top four is another thing altogether, one that is unlikely to happen in the light of the year's remaining matches for each team, which is this:
Arsenal
Wolves, QPR: Home games
Spurs
Norwich, Swansea: Away games
Fulham, Villa: Home games
In terms of points, Arsenal sit on 32, one point behind Chelsea, having played the same number of games, so they'll need Chelsea to draw at least one of her matches, if leapfrogging their West London neighbor into the new year is to happen.
Spurs sit on 35 points, with a match in hand, to be played in the coming month. They'd have to lose one of the two matches and tie the other for Arsenal to overtake them.
In both scenarios, which are unlikely, Arsenal would have to win both her matches in order to overtake either of the two teams.
It's unlikely therefore that Arsenal will start the new year in the top four. They do need, however, to be focused on winning their matches in order to avoid being supplanted by Liverpool, who sit just two points behind them.
But there's one more factor in all these, which is the first match each team plays in the new year. The results from this will affect each team's position on the table in the new year.
Arsenal will be away at Fulham, a difficult match. A draw will be a good result.
Chelsea will be away at Wolves, an easy match on paper. They should win it easily.
Spurs will be home to Westbrom, an easy match on current form. They should therefore win it.
In the light of this additional point, the likely scenario again is that the two teams—Chelsea and Spurs—will retain their superior position on the table going into the new year.
What Arsenal need to do for now is to concentrate on solidifying her current position on the table. The opportunity to climb into top-four position will come in the new year.
Nevertheless, Wenger's message is a very relevant and good one.
Let's hope good things accompany Arsenal in the new year.
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