Former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer says he cannot see Arsenal finishing in the top four this season after their 3-0 defeat at Leicester City yesterday (Sunday).
The Gunners' hopes of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the Champions League were dented by the defeat at the King Power Stadium, with Unai Emery's side now four points behind north London rivals Tottenham in third and two points behind Chelsea in fourth, with two games to play.
And Shearer says he can see it remaining that way come the end of the season, as he criticised the way that Arsenal defended in the defeat against Leicester.
"From the positions they are in, I think Spurs and Chelsea will finish third and fourth, meaning United and Arsenal are the teams that miss out," he said in a feature for the BBC website , analysing the battle for the top four.
"It is a miracle that the Gunners still even have a chance of making the top four, but they are in the same boat as Chelsea in that the next few weeks will decide how we judge their manager's first season in charge.
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"If they win the Europa League then they are back in the Champions League wherever they finish in the league, and that will be a very good season for Unai Emery's side.
"It is hard to see that happening, though, because I have little confidence in Arsenal defensively, and none at all when they are away from home.
"They were all over the place at the back in Sunday's defeat by Leicester and their defending was pathetic, even when they had 11 men.
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"It was embarrassing to watch. They lost 3-0 and their goalkeeper Bernd Leno was their best player. Their defending has been their Achilles heel for a while now, but the only thing that has changed about it is that it seems to be getting worse."
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