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LONDON. – It says as much about Arsenal’s rivals in the race for the top four, as it does for Arsene Wenger’s team, that the Emirates Stadium might still be hosting Champions League football next season.

Ten days ago, Arsenal had dropped to seventh, eight points adrift of the Champions League positions – albeit having played one game fewer than fourth-placed Manchester City – after suffering a painful 2-0 North London derby defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.

It felt like an era-defining loss.

It was the day that Spurs cancelled “St Totteringham’s Day” for the first time in over 20 years by guaranteeing they would finish above their neighbours. Wenger and his players left White Hart Lane for the final time with Spurs mockery and the anger of their own fans ringing in their ears.

Yet as the English Premier League campaign approaches its penultimate weekend, Arsenal are now a team with momentum again who know that one slip by Liverpool – who have played one more game than all their rivals for the top four – will open the door in the final week of the season.

City currently sit three points ahead of Arsenal in fourth, with a superior goal difference, so while they are closest to Wenger’s team in the battle for the top four, Liverpool appear most vulnerable and they only have themselves to blame.

Jurgen Klopp’s team have two games left to play – at West Ham United this weekend and at home to Middlesbrough on the final day – but if Arsenal win at Stoke City tonight, anything but three points at the London Stadium tomorrow for Liverpool will leave Arsenal as favourites to snatch a top-four finish from their grasp.

Liverpool have collected just two points from their last three home games, losing to Crystal Palace and drawing with both Bournemouth and Southampton, so they have unquestionably had – and wasted – the opportunity to nail down Champions League qualification with games to spare.

City continue to splutter, winning just three of their last eight league games, but last Saturday’s 5-0 win at home to Crystal Palace might yet prove decisive in getting themselves over the line, with the goal difference of Pep Guardiola’s team being boosted to the extent that, with only a week to go, it is now significant enough to keep their noses ahead of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United if they finish level on points.

United remain outsiders for the top four, but despite Jose Mourinho’s weekly complaints about fatigue, injury and a congested fixture list conspiring against his team, their recent run of three wins from their last eight league games tells its own story.

So United have as good as thrown their own chances away, City have been protected by the points banked during their six-game winning streak at the start of the campaign, while Liverpool now look anxiously over their shoulder having given Arsenal encouragement.

Inconsistency has been the only consistent trait linking the also-rans in the title race who are now scrambling around for a place in the Champions League.

Chelsea have been a winning machine for the majority of the season and will be deserved champions, while Spurs have pushed them close with their own impressive form.

But the rest have embarrassed themselves with their inability to claim a top-four position and it will be an indictment of those who fail if they end up missing out to Arsenal.

Wenger has, without question, built a talented team at the Emirates, one with attacking threat and flair and, at times this season, new-found durability and fighting spirit which has delivered several late, late goals.

But they have also displayed a conspicuous lack of backbone when the going has got tough and the reality of their dismal recent form can be summed up by the fact that Wednesday’s 2-0 win at Southampton ended a run of five defeats from their last six away games in the league.

This is classic Arsenal, however. Recent seasons have pretty much all stuck to the same pattern. They make a bright start, hover around the top two until Christmas and prompt claims that “this will finally be their year,” before falling off a cliff once the season passes its halfway stage.

Fixtures (all 4pm unless otherwise stated)

Today: Manchester City v Leicester City (1:30pm); Bournemouth v Burnley; Middlesbrough v Southampton; Sunderland v Swansea City; Stoke City v Arsenal (6:30pm).

Tomorrow: Crystal Palace v Hull City (1pm); West Ham United v Liverpool (3:15pm); Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United (5:30pm).

Monday: Chelsea v Watford (9pm).

Tuesday: Arsenal v Sunderland (8:45pm); Manchester City v West Bromwich Albion (9pm).

Wednesday: Southampton v Manchester United (8:45pm). – ESPN.