Arsenal’s place in next season’s Champions League could be confirmed tonight.
It has been a underwhelming Premier League campaign for Mikel Arteta’s side as they’ve missed out on the title - this time to Liverpool - with 14 draws underlining their inconsistency.
The latest of which was away at the champions last week after battling back from 2-0 down to leave Anfield with a point thanks to second half goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Mikel Merino who was later sent-off for two bookable offences.
That result means Arsenal still have destiny in their own hands with regards to finishing second for a third straight season and, perhaps more crucially, ensuring they are back at Europe’s top table for 2025/26.
Due to performance of its clubs in Europe this season, six English teams will qualify for the Champions League next season. The top five in the Premier League and the winners of the Europa League final between Tottenham and Manchester United.
As things stand currently, the Gunners sit second with a five-point advantage over Chelsea and Aston Villa in fifth and sixth respectively.
Nottingham Forest are one place and a point further back but have such an inferior goal difference to Arsenal that it would take a bizarre set of results for them to leapfrog the north London outfit.
Arsenal therefore just need a point from their remaining two games against Newcastle and Southampton to secure a top-five finish and according to Opta, they have a 99.9% chance of doing so. The question is can they hold on to second place?
That said, Arteta’s side may not even need a point to qualify for the Champions League. Should Villa and/or Chelsea fail to beat Spurs and Man Utd respectively tonight, that would be enough before a ball is kicked at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
