Gary Neville hits back at Arsenal fans responding to top four prediction

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Arsenal have made a significant amount of progress over the past few years however, Gary Neville isn’t fully on board with the journey.

Mikel Arteta finished eighth in his first season in charge at Arsenal, showcasing the change he’s managed to implement since his arrival. 

The Gunners have secured back-to-back second-place finishes over the last two campaigns, finishing narrowly short of Manchester City in the Premier League table.

While the evidence is there to suggest Arsenal’s progression over the past few years, some are still yet to believe in Arteta’s magic. 

• READ MORE: Arsenal’s first five 2024/25 Premier League fixtures compared with title rivals Liverpool and Man City

Gary Neville hits back at Arsenal fans as 2021 comments resurface

This week, comments that Gary Neville made about Arsenal back in 2021 resurfaced following the club’s opening day defeat to Brentford that season.

The Sky Sports pundit said at the time that he doubted that Arsenal would make the top four, saying that the recruitment at the club had been “really poor”.

Fans reacted to Neville’s opinion on Sky Sports by reflecting on what the squad have achieved since then, attempting to make a fool of the former Manchester United defender.

On Wednesday, Neville hit back at Arsenal fans on X to respond to those reflecting on his 2021 comments as he said, “Congratulations on your success well done.”

The pundit was alluding to the fact that Arsenal have not won a major trophy since his comments three years ago, suggesting that the call for him to eat his words was premature. 

Arsenal don’t need Neville’s opinion to measure success

Given where Arsenal were at and where Arsenal currently are, fans won’t be too disheartened by Neville’s attempt to bring the Gunners back down to earth.

Trophies are a measurement of true success however, when reflecting on how far Arsenal have come since Arteta’s arrival, it’s impossible to not commend the work the Spaniard and his team have done. 

• READ MORE: Arsenal’s XI for Mikel Arteta’s first match as manager

The 2024/25 campaign will be another chance for the North Londoners to win some silverware, with a Premier League title well overdue following the invincible season of 2003/04.

It would be the perfect response to Neville’s undermining of Arsenal’s recent success, with the football the only thing that should be doing the talking from now until May.