Ashley Cole has admitted Arsenal will find it 'very difficult' to achieve a top-four finish after his old side's horror start to the season.
Mikel Arteta's side were booed off by some fans after their 1-0 defeat to Burnley on Sunday left them just five points above the relegation zone in 15th place.
The shock result at the Emirates confirmed their worst start to a league season in 46 years, and former Arsenal left-back Cole says their chances of Champions League qualification are now slim.
'Now they can put Europe on the back-burner and start focusing on getting some points, playing better football and improving the league position,' he told Stats Perform News courtesy of Nissan.
'They're up against some top teams in the Premier League so it is going to be difficult for them, but I feel if they can get through this moment and this tough period with some good games, some good results, then you never know.
'There's still a long way to go in this season, but when you're in the bottom half of the table, to get into the top four now, with the quality some of these teams are playing at, then I think it's going to be very difficult for Arsenal.'
Arsenal face a tricky fixture list before the end of the year, starting with a home game against in-form Southampton tonight.
That will take place without fans at the Emirates after London moved into Tier 3 of the government's coronavirus restrictions.
Arteta's men will close out the year with a trip to Carlo Ancelotti's Everton, a Boxing Day grudge match against Chelsea and a visit to Brighton in the Premier League.
In among those fixtures there is also the small matter of an EFL Cup quarter-final against Manchester City next Tuesday.
Sunday's surprise loss to Burnley after a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang own-goal from a corner represented a new low for this embattled Arsenal side.
Granit Xhaka's sending off for grabbing Ashley Westwood by the throat summed up his team's chaos, and Arteta has looked to take responsibility for his team's slump.
'I feel more responsible than anyone about the situation,' he said ahead of the game against Southampton.
‘Everything that we can say, we have to show it on the pitch with our results.
‘I’d like to tell the fans we are fighting to put this right. It’s the least we can do. We know it’s not good enough and we’re doing everything we can to change it.’