Arsenal’s 5-1 thumping of Bournemouth stated the team’s intention of finishing fourth in the final Premiership table – or even higher. The title race is a foregone conclusion as it will go to either Liverpool or Manchester City, both of whom, given their current form, have unassailable leads. But what’s wrong with The Gunners aiming for third place?

The North Londoners rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Burnley, followed by a hugely disappointing performance (only if you’re a Spurs fan of course) against Chelsea – Arsenal’s second main rivals after Manchester United for the fourth (or third) place slot.

Tottenham face Arsenal this weekend, and they still have to play Liverpool at Anfield and Manchester City at the Etihad. Although they step up their game a little when they meet the better sides, it really does look like they have lost their bottle, and if they carry on dropping points, it can only be to the good of Arsenal.

Most impotantly – if Unai Emery’s men can beat Spurs, they will be only one point behind them with all to play for.

The Gunners have already played Liverpool and City, so that is to their advantage in terms of vying for a fourth or third place finish. The next crunch game in achieving their bid, on the assumption that they can humble Tottenham, will be when they entertain Manchester United at the Emirates of the 10th of March.

Many soccer pundits seem to have accepted that Tottenham will finish in third place. But the rivalry between the two North London clubs is part of the fabric of the game, and if the Gunners can take that third-place spot at the expense of their neighbours, that will be sweet indeed if you’re a Gooner.

So, with everything to play for, Arsenal must be prepared to take what’s on offer and win both games – first against the Lily Whites and then against the Red Devils.

Tottenham are there for the taking. Pochettino admitted when they lost to Burnley that his team are now out of the title race. After the ensuing defeat by Chelsea he has now told the world that Spurs are ten years away from being real title contenders. With Spurs’ moral at an all-time low, now is the time for Arsenal to assert themselves.

But Emery needs to get his tactics right, and one of the questions uppermost in many peoples’ minds is whether or not his will pick Mesut Ozil in his starting eleven. Ozil had a terrific game against Bournemouth. He opened the scoring himself before setting up Henrikh Mkhitaryan to score and he was the main contributor of making the team tick.

Emery was quick to recognise Ozil’s performance when he said how much he helped to seal an emphatic win with his quality and work.

Given the underwhelming start to Arsenal’s opening form this season, no-one would have thought they would now be challenging for a fourth or even third place finish. We mustn’t also lose sight of the fact the Gunners are still in with a chance of winning the Europa League.

Making all this happen won’t be easy. But if they can, as suggested by former player Laureano Bisan-Etame Mayer, (more popularly known as simply Lauren), it will turn an average season into an excellent one and it will grant them a place in next year’s European Champions League.

From Unai Emery’s point of view, coming in after the exit of Arsen Wenger was no simple task. If his team does land a third-place finish and lift the Europa League crown, it will have been a more than satisfactory start to his reign.

Mesut Ozil delivered a masterful performance to inspire Arsenal to a 5-1 victory over Bournemouth at The Emirates on Wednesday night. The German playmaker opened the scoring with a deft chip, teed up Henrikh Mkhitaryan for the second and looked extremely dangerous throughout. He also displayed fantastic work rate in a bid to prove to Unai Emery that he can fit into the manager’s high intensity style of play. The Gunners look a much better team with Ozil pulling the strings and there is now a strong case for Emery to reinstate him as a first team regular for the rest of the season.

In mitigation, this was a game tailor made for a player of Ozil’s talents. Bournemouth had lost their previous nine away games and they were unlikely to offer much resistance to Arsenal’s attack. Eddie Howe’s men simply cannot bring themselves to park the bus and they always try to play expansive football, which leaves plenty of space for Ozil to wreak havoc. He will need to turn it on against a higher calibre of opposition in order to convince Emery of his newfound worth to the team, but the signs are positive.

Arsenal now enters a crucial phase of the season as they desperately try to claw their way back into the Champions League. Emery and co need money to plug gaping holes in the squad, and the absent owner is not a fan of investing his own cash in the project, so the riches that Champions League football brings would provide a huge boost. They have two avenues: finish in the top four of the table or win the Europa League. A Bookmaker review and an analysis of the betting lines reveals that they are underdogs in both markets.

Chelsea are the clear favourites to finish in the top four after beating Tottenham on Wednesday, while Man Utd are second in the betting and Arsenal are third. Spurs could yet get sucked back into it, but Arsenal are still outsiders in this market. Chelsea are also the favourites to win the Europa League, followed by Serie A outfit Napoli and then Arsenal, who are once again third in the betting. Yet the Gunners will take a huge amount of confidence from the manner of their victory over Bournemouth this week.

It followed a similarly dominant display against Southampton in their previous outing and it is encouraging to see so many attacking options at Emery’s disposal. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came in for Alexandre Lacazette and looked equally impressive, while Henrikh Mkhitaryan is in the best form of his Arsenal career thus far, and the ability to rotate players will be crucial in the run-in. Yet there is a case for Ozil being the first name on the team sheet. He has an infuriating tendency to go missing in big games, and also to miss lengthy spells through illness, but when he is on song he is unplayable.

Without Ozil in the side, the Gunners often huff and puff, but lack incision. The German can deliver precise through balls, his movement is exceptional and he links midfield and attack with aplomb. Emery is a demanding coach and he clearly grew sick of Ozil’s lack of endeavour, but it would be amazing if Arsenal’s highest-earning player has actually responded well to a spell on the sidelines and the team will benefit from a re-energised, motivated player that is ready to lead this team to greater glories. Arsenal are fourth in the table, so their destiny is in their own hands, and there are no excuses in the Europa League as Chelsea are a mess. If Ozil shines for the next couple of months it could yet end up as a successful season for Arsenal and spark optimism for a bright future under Emery, so the case for him to give his star man a chance is compelling.