Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams says that it will have been an "exceptional" first season in charge for Unai Emery, if the Gunners win the Europa League final.
The Gunners missed out on a place in the top four in the Premier League, with Arsenal finishing in fifth position, one point behind north London rivals Tottenham in fourth and two behind Chelsea in third.
But with the Europa League final to come against Chelsea later this month, Arsenal still have a chance to qualify for the Champions League next season, if they can beat the Blues in Baku.
And Adams said that it could still be a successful season for the Gunners if they can finish on a high in Azerbaijan.
“We would have taken that, I would have before the season. It has been a transitional year with Unai Emery coming in, but with 13 backroom staff changing and I think he has consolidated," Adams said, speaking on BT Sport's Score programme.
“It is never nice to finish below our north London rivals, but I think with that group of players, he has done a fantastic job. If he can get the Europa League trophy then I would say that has been an exceptional start to his time at Arsenal."
Former Spurs man delivers brutal assessment of the squad Unai Emery is working with at Arsenal
Meanwhile, what Adams said about Spurs should go down well with Arsenal and Chelsea fans, with the former Gunners' captain taking aim at Tottenham and their lack of success in the Premier League era.
“Money helps, absolutely and we need it. It is a bit like [Maurizio] Sarri at Chelsea, and it is down to expectations at the club," he said.
“Tottenham are perceived to be doing really well, but they haven’t got a history of winning things. Arsenal have been used to winning things, and so have Chelsea, who have come third and got to the Europa League final.
Arsenal fans will love Tony Adams' three-word response about whether Liverpool will beat Spurs
“Manchester City and Liverpool have been phenomenal, and as the top two, they are out of sight."
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