Top Universities on Students with Gap Years

Which subjects were your a levels in?

You will not be disadvantaged by having applied before or having taken a gap year, in fact, if anything, due to your achieved grades your application should be a bit stronger now.

Out of curiosity, did you start your gap year this summer or are you going into a second gap year now?

When I was doing my university applications I had predicted grades at A*BB and was ultimately rejected from my aspirational choices however in my actual results I ended up getting A*A*A* which led me to a gap year. In the gap year I've done several things to polish my personal statement but I'm unsure of how universities will perceive my application, I've heard that top Russel Group universities typically don't favor 2nd time applicants. Are my chances poor here? Would appreciate responses from people who've been in the same scenario as me or have knowledge of predicaments like these.
• Side note: Course I'm looking to pursue is Economics in LSE, UCL, Imperial or King's.

Economics, Maths and History.

Second gap year I'm pretty sure, started last year.

When I was doing my university applications I had predicted grades at A*BB and was ultimately rejected from my aspirational choices however in my actual results I ended up getting A*A*A* which led me to a gap year. In the gap year I've done several things to polish my personal statement but I'm unsure of how universities will perceive my application, I've heard that top Russel Group universities typically don't favor 2nd time applicants. Are my chances poor here? Would appreciate responses from people who've been in the same scenario as me or have knowledge of predicaments like these.
• Side note: Course I'm looking to pursue is Economics in LSE, UCL, Imperial or King's.