Ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League, we've priced up Arsenal at 4/5 to finish above Manchester United and the same price to finish above Liverpool.

After their unlikely title challenge last season, the Gunners are 4/1 to finish above Manchester City this time around, but if they manage that, they shouldn't be far off the title, which they're 7/1 to win.

Another title bid might be beyond them this season, even if the club do invest well and their young squad benefit from being another year older, but they’ve made their return to the Champions League and must feel hopeful of at least another top four finish under Mikel Arteta. 

Arteta, like Unai Emery – and even Wenger – before him, felt the wrath of the Arsenal fans after two years of relative underachievement. 

Despite winning the FA Cup after taking over mid-season, he was unable to lift Arsenal higher than eighth in the table, which he repeated the following year in his first full campaign, leaving Arsenal out of European competition altogether. 

Even without European distraction, his team stumbled at the finish line in 2021/22, falling out of the top four to finish fifth. But, beyond all expectations, his young Gunners launched a strong title bid in 2022/23, again falling short late on.

The impending signing of Declan Rice will be a huge boost to the Gunners top four – and indeed title - aspirations as well as helping them compete in the Champions League, but Arteta will be hoping for additional reinforcements, as Rice will only replace outgoing skipper Granit Xhaka; Gunners fans remain hopeful they can further strengthen their midfield with the signing of Brighton's highly coveted Moises Caicedo, though a move to West London appears more like than North at the moment.

They also have plenty of depth further up the pitch. Leandro Trossard provided a superb rotation option to support Gabriel Martinelli on the left wing, and while Bukayo Saka's campaign petered out somewhat, Arteta has one of the league's most talented players on the other wing. 

Eddie Nketiah deputised admirably when Gabriel Jesus spent three months out injured, and if Arteta can persuade Folarin Balogun to stay at the Emirates after his tremendous 21-goal season in Ligue 1, finishing fourth in the division's goalscoring charts.

Arteta would perhaps be keen to add to his back line, however. Ben White was superb in a less familiar full-back role last season, and the importance of the partnership between Gabriel and William Saliba was most apparent during the latter's absence; Arsenal were five points clear of City prior to the Frenchman's injury, picking up 2.44 points per game, dropping to 1.64 during his time on the sidelines, keeping just two clean sheets in their final 11 games.

Pep Guardiola is happy to move Joao Cancelo on, and Arsenal appear to be in the hunt for the Portuguese, who Arteta would hope can have a similar impact to former City man Oleksandr Zinchenko.

There's lots of reasons for optimism at the Emirates heading into the new season, and while the title might still be a step too far, there's no reason to think they can't finish as best of the rest once again.

Arsenal to finish higher than:

Liam Williams

• Arsenal F.C.
• Manchester United F.C.
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