Arsenal’s form away from the Emirates Stadium has knocked the club off the pace for a place in the Champions League next season.

The Gunners are sitting outside of the top four in the Premier League at the time of writing, although the gap between Unai Emery’s men and Manchester United is only one point. United have staged a dramatic recovery under the tenure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Red Devils and the Gunners are seemingly locked in a battle for the final spot in the Champions League for next term.

Chelsea’s inconsistent form under Maurizio Sarri may even see the Blues fall away, following drubbings at the hands of Bournemouth and Manchester City. United’s defeat at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their round-of-16 clash in Europe’s elite competition will likely see them eliminated when they travel to Paris, which is widely agreed by the bookmakers provided by Oddschecker, with their odds for winning the Champions League plummeting.

Although it would be a disappointment for Solskjaer’s men, it would redouble their focus to earn fourth spot ahead of Emery’s side. Therefore it’s vital that Arsenal are able to find their form on the road.

Five of Arsenal’s six defeats in the Premier League this season have come away from home. They’ve been hammered by Manchester City and Liverpool, while also losing to Chelsea, Southampton and West Ham United.

The defeats at the hands of their rivals were not a huge surprise, but losing to the Saints and the Hammers could be very costly come the end of the campaign. It has often been just one mistake that has turned the result against Emery’s side. Charlie Austin’s late strike at St Mary’s Stadium won the game for Southampton, while Declan Rice notched the decisive goal for West Ham.

The Gunners have a huge test ahead of them in their remaining away matches this term. Tottenham are the only team that they play on the road above them in the table. Other than their bitter rivals, they travel to Wolves, Everton, Watford, Leicester and Burnley. Those matches will dictate whether Arsenal are playing in the Champions League next term.

Their home form has been their saving grace, but if the club continues to drop points against inferior teams on the road then it will be an opportunity missed. All eyes are on Emery to see whether he can conjure an improvement between now and the end of the campaign.