Arsenal put pressure on Liverpool with their 4-1 victory over Stoke City on Saturday but Jurgen Klopp’s side responded magnificently at the London Stadium yesterday, smashing four past West Ham in a comfortable win.
That leaves the Gunners’ chances of making the top-four and qualifying for the Champions League looking slim, as they must beat Sunderland and Everton this week whilst hoping that Liverpool and Manchester City slip-up.
A win for the Citizens against West Brom in midweek will seal a top-four spot for Pep Guardiola’s side, whilst Liverpool also have their fate in their own hands as a victory against already-relegated Middlesbrough on the final day of the Premier League season will see Klopp’s side advance to Europe’s elite competition next season.
Missing out on Champions League football for the first time in two decades will be a major blow for Arsenal, especially as the Europa League is seen as a hindrance to any attempts of winning the Premier League next season due to the Thursday/Sunday match scheduling.
However, it may actually work out in Arsenal’s favour for a number of reasons- with the first being that the Gunners have a much higher chance of winning the Europa League than they do the Champions League, which would significantly raise the spirits at the club.
The likes of Atletico Madrid and Sevilla have built on Europa League success in recent years to contend for further honours, with the victory for the side from the Spanish capital helping Atleti develop into a top-class European outlet, finishing runners-up in the Champions League twice.
Involvement in the Europa League will certainly not be easy, as there is a wealth of top-class sides set to be involved in the competition and more could enter in the knock-out stages if they finish third in their Champions League group, but Arsenal have the capability to excel.
Perhaps significantly more important is the fact that it may actually help Arsenal in their quest to contend for further honours in the Premier League, despite the awkward match scheduling that would see the Gunners play the majority of their matches on Sunday afternoon.
Arsenal have shown in recent seasons that they are much better of putting in top-class performances when they are the chasing side and have struggled to establish themselves when they hold an advantage over their rivals.
With Arsenal set to play the majority of their matches after their league rivals, the Gunners will enter those fixtures knowing exactly what they need to do- and that has seen the best come out of the North London side in recent seasons.
The past month is a prime example as Arsenal have fought back from a disappointing spell, where many considered their chances of finishing in the top-four to be over, but the Gunners have responded valiantly to keep their hopes alive.
Victories over Manchester United, Southampton and Stoke City in the space of a week shows the Gunners’ pedigree, especially as that trio has often been regarded to be a selection of bogey teams for Arsenal in the past.