May 22, (THEWILL) – Arsenal won 5-1 against Everton to close the season in a flourish, but it was not enough to secure UEFA Champions League status despite the progress they made this season.
Reaching Europe’s elite competition was no longer in their hands as Mike Arteta’s side needed Tottenham to make a mistake at already relegated Norwich City on Sunday to have any chance of finishing in the top four.
Arsenal responded well against a much-changed Everton side, with Gabriel Martinelli kicking things off with a penalty in the 27th minute and Eddie Nketiah scoring soon after.
Following goals from Cedric Soares and Gabriel Magalhaes, and a goal from Donny van de Beek on what is likely to be his final Everton appearance, Spurs’ easy 5-0 win at Carrow Road rendered Arsenal’s efforts meaningless, as they finished fifth, in a Europa League spot, with Martin Odegaard simply adding gloss late on.
Soon after, Alexandre Lacazette made his final appearance for Arsenal, and the home fans were able to celebrate an overwhelming season-ending win when Odegaard scored the fifth goal.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
