Things are going very well for Mikel Arteta at the moment (Picture: Getty Images)
Ex-Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant has made a bleak prediction for his former club, believing they will fall out of the top four in the Premier League after Christmas.
Things are going brilliantly for Mikel Arteta and his team, sitting top of the table after 10 matches, nine of which they have won.
Remarkably, the Gunners are already four points clear from their closest rivals, Manchester City, and only a defeat to Manchester United has upset their momentum so far this campaign.
However, Pennant is not expecting the good times to last and not only does not see Arsenal mounting a title challenge this season, but expects them to fall out of the top four entirely.
The Gunners were in a good position to return to the Champions League last season but fell away at the end and Pennant can see similar weaknesses emerging again.
‘I think that Arsenal, after Christmas, will cookie crumble like they did the year before to drop out of the Champions League spots.
‘I’m gonna get criticised and battered by Arsenal fans being an ex-Gooner!’
Pennant was at Arsenal from 1999-2005 (Picture: Getty Images)
Pennant did have praise for Arsenal and Arteta, saying they have come a long way with the Spaniard in charge, but still expects them to struggle to keep up their impressive form.
‘What Arteta has done at Arsenal, where they were two, three seasons ago and what they are doing now, is absolutely amazing,’ he continued.
‘We are giving Arsenal a lot of praise about where they are going and how they have conducted themselves in the first ten games. But it is all about will they maintain that, will they continue that after Christmas?
‘We have seen a lot of teams come flying out the blocks and then as soon as the Christmas period comes and the games come thick and fast, they slip over easily.’
MORE : Oleksandr Zinchenko & Gabriel Martinelli absent from Arsenal training ahead of PSV clash
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‘I’m gonna get criticised and battered by Arsenal fans.’