With a top four Premier League finish almost impossible for Arsenal to attain, it could be forgiven if the feeling around the Emirates Stadium is not the most jovial.
The 1-1 draw with Brighton on Sunday means that the Gunners need an eight goal swing if they are to overtake North London rivals Tottenham in fourth place.
However, there is still hope of bringing Champions League football to the Emirates next season. Arsenal are in Europa League semi-final action on Thursday when they will look to make the most of their 3-1 lead over Valencia going into the second leg of the tie.
Former Arsenal defender on the weakness Brighton targeted to crush the Gunners' top four hopes
If Arsenal do overcome their Spanish opponents, then they will be just one win away from a place in the elite competition.
Take a look below for the news concerning the Gunners over the last 24 hours.
Barcelona ready to swoop for Alexandre Lacazette
Alexandre Lacazette has been in fine form for the Gunners this season, so much so that he has been named as the Arsenal player of the year for the 2018/19 season.
While good form for the team is always a positive, it also catches the eyes of other clubs. In this case Barcelona.
According to the Express , the Catalan giants have been watching the Frenchman closely over recent weeks, and are now ready to make a move to try and take the striker to the Camp Nou.
The report claims that an offer of £70million is being readied by Barca, although Lacazette is a player that Unai Emery will be keen to keep at the Emirates for the foreseeable future, the Spaniard is looking to hold a fire sale to raise funds for a summer spending spree.
How Arsenal blew a top four finish
At one point, not too long ago, a top four finish was well in the hands of Unai Emery's men. But just one point from the last possible twelve have seen that possibility slip through their fingers.
It seems that all clubs aiming for a top four finish were struggling to get over the line in recent weeks. Not one team was able to stake a real claim and pull away from the pack as the other stumbled towards the finishing line.
So, how has it come to the Gunners now having to pin their hopes on a Europa League victory to be able to compete back in the Champions League next season?
football.london have take a closer look here , where factors such as missing players and a crisis of confidence are discussed.
How did the media react?
The result that ultimately put the last but one nail in the coffin of Arsenal's hopes of finishing in one of the top four positions this season was the 1-1 home draw with Brighton on Sunday.
The Gunners would have been expecting a comfortable victory in the game, especially considering the poor form that the Seagulls have been in during the second half of the season, and that they now had nothing to play for after securing their safety the day before.
But, Glenn Murray's second half penalty clawed back the advantage that Arsenal had grabbed in the first half through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The point was the first that the Gunners had earned in four games, but was only enough to maintain a slither of hope for the final day of the season.
With Brighton even having chances to take all three points from the Emirates, what did the national media make of Arsenal's display?
Take a look here to find out.
Former referee explains why Arsenal were lucky to even draw with Brighton & Hove Albion
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