Arsenal are out of the Champions League places and alarm bells must be ringing everywhere at London Colney.

READING, ENGLAND - JANUARY 17: Lisa Evans , Vivianne Miedema and Jennifer Beattie of Arsenal speak as they walk off the pitch after the Barclays FA Women's Super League match between Reading Women and Arsenal Women at Madejski Stadium on January 17, 2021 in Reading, England. Sporting stadiums around England remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
READING, ENGLAND – JANUARY 17: Lisa Evans , Vivianne Miedema and Jennifer Beattie of Arsenal speak as they walk off the pitch after the Barclays FA Women’s Super League match between Reading Women and Arsenal Women at Madejski Stadium on January 17, 2021 (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

The table does not lie is a well known saying in football. This time it certainly does not as Arsenal cannot blame games in hand like many usually can in the FA WSL:

https://twitter.com/BarclaysFAWSL/status/1353419799871639552

With the Arsenal game postponed at the weekend due to snow, City managed to catch-up their game in hand and overtake us.

They are now one point ahead of Arsenal.

City also managed to cut their goal difference deficit to three goals with a 7-1 destruction of Brighton.

Clearly, the top two teams are out of our reach at the moment. Arsenal are three points behind Chelsea who have a game in hand.

We are six points behind United, but with a game in hand. It means we have to finish above City, who are the form team after a really poor start to the season.

This is make or break time for Joe Montemurro and his squad.

Coming up are the postponed games at Villa and then, a week later Manchester City at home followed by Chelsea away. It is clear that we need three points at Villa, three points at home to City and at least a point away to Chelsea.

Seven points from those three games is the minimum needed to stay in the Champions League race.

The good news is the squad is nearly back to full strength, so the Arsenal manager will have 21 players to choose from, three keepers and 18 outfield players.

Competition for places means players will have to raise their level and perform to stay in the team.

The main problem is our offence has become a bit stale and predictable:

Tim Stillman asked Montemurro in his pre-game pres conference about it. It looks like we do struggle against deeper blocks, but also against a high-press as well as seen against Chelsea and United, who both have superb defensive organisation.

Breaking those defensive lines will be key against City and Chelsea, as well as minimizing defensive errors.

Nevertheless, things are not so doom and gloom. Should Arsenal collect nine points from the next three games, we will be back in with a shout for the runners-up slot.

The players have their destiny in their own hands. The staff will prepare them for those crucial games and the players will have to produce the goods on the pitch.