Arsenal made it four wins in a row in the Premier League as they beat Crystal Palace 3-1. Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Mikel Arteta said that ‘it is time to deliver on the final day’.
It seemed that the match was heading for a draw, but late goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Nicolas Pepe sealed the deal for the north Londoners giving them a small chance of making it to Europe next season.
They will take on Brighton and Hove Albion in their final game of the season and Arteta’s men will need to get the three points. And regarding this, the manager told Sky Sports:
“It was a crucial moment because we wanted to go into the final day with every chance to be in Europe next season. In order to do that, we knew we had to win today and wait for some results, and with the way the game was developing, we were running out of time and it looked difficult. But at the end, we found a way to do it.”
The boss also had a message for his team ahead of the final matchday. Arteta added:
“I think with the results and the number of points that we have managed to get in those months, we have earned the right to be in that position. Now it’s time to deliver on the final day, but unfortunately, it’s not in our hands.”
With West Ham United winning on Wednesday, the Gunners are out of the race for a Europa League spot. The only remaining hope is to reach the Europa Conference League.
For the north Londoners to qualify for this competition, they will have to finish seventh ahead of Everton and Tottenham. Spurs are playing Leicester City and the Toffees will be up against Manchester City on Sunday.
Unless both teams drop points, it won’t be possible for the the Gunners to get European football next season. On top of that, beating Brighton is not going to be all that easy given how well they are playing.
Arsenal go into the final day hoping that the FA Cup and Premier League champions can do them a favour. It promises to be an exciting end to the campaign, and it could have one final twist.
