Gary Neville ‘not sure’ Arsenal can recover from setbacks and says fourth is ‘Tottenham’s for the taking’

Manchester United legend Gary Neville says fourth-place is “Tottenham’s for the taking” and insists he “never trusted” Arsenal after their recent setbacks in the race for Champions League qualification.

Arsenal’s 2-1 home defeat to Brighton on Saturday was their second on the bounce after the 3-0 reverse at Crystal Palace on Monday night.

Tottenham took full advantage with thumping wins over Newcastle and Aston Villa to climb into fourth spot, and while the Gunners are just three points adrift with a game in hand, Neville believes Antonio Conte’s men are firmly in the box seat.

“I never trusted Arsenal really and I said that publicly,” he said on the Gary Neville Podcast. “I said a few weeks ago I didn’t trust Arsenal fully and the reason behind that was because they needed to prove they could go through a run in where they were favourites for the top four. Those doubts are starting to come to the fore.

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