Even without Champions League football, Arsenal’s season has been a success

Here we sit with only one matchday left in the Premier League season, and Arsenal needs a huge touch of lady luck to secure Champions League football.

While the Gunners are not out of the picture just yet, they’ll need a HUGE favour from an incompetent Norwich side on Sunday afternoon as they host Tottenham at Carrow Road.

Meanwhile, Arsenal must beat an Everton side that secured safety on Matchday 37 with a stunning come from behind win over Crystal Palace.

So under the likely assumption that Arsenal misses out on a coveted top-four spot, has the season been a success? Of course!

Arsenal have still enjoyed a successful 2021/22 season despite likely missing out on Champions League football

There are thousands of angry fans who want Mikel Arteta out and for half the squad to join the Spanish boss through the exit door. Their anger is directly related to Arsenal missing out on Champions League football after they were beaten at St James’ Park on Monday night.

However, had fans been told that the Gunners would finish fifth at the start of the season, the vast majority would’ve been satisfied – especially when you take into account just how poorly the campaign began.

From 14 wins in the 2019/20 season when the club finished eighth, to 18 wins last year and another eighth-placed finish, to now a fifth or fourth-placed finish and 21 wins, progress has undeniably been made.

Arteta trimmed the wage bill astronomically during the January transfer window. He pushed some of the deadwood out, despite it being detrimental to the club in the short term. But no one can argue that the season hasn’t been a success.

Given that having Champions League football as a target would have got you laughed out of every media establishment after Brentford bullied the Gunners on the opening night of the season, the mere fact that Arsenal can still qualify for Europe’s premier club competition going into the last day with a threadbare squad tells you all you need to know.

While fans are understandably upset about how the last two games have gone so wrong and potentially caused the club to suffer without UCL at the carpet for another year, the fact is that the Gunners would have certainly overachieved had they gotten into the top four.

Keep in mind that Arsenal has put themselves in this position without Thomas Partey, who is perhaps the most crucial player in the squad, Kieran Tierney for a significant stretch, and Takehiro Tomiyasu, who was missing for a while as well.

Not to mention the last two weeks in which Ben White has missed time and was all but forced to play against Newcastle due to Rob Holding’s suspension. Oh, what we would have given to have William Saliba slot straight in? Next year, eh.

So, when you take a step back and gather a hint of perspective, we must be satisfied with Arsenal’s development under their exciting young coach this season. To get to the final day with a chance of a top-four spot is a good achievement for the Premier League’s youngest outfit. One could argue that if Partey and Tierney had remained injury-free, a top-four place would have been locked up weeks ago, but hindsight is a beautiful thing.

Strides have been made under Arteta regardless of one’s stance on his managerial ability. Arsenal are no longer easy beats, especially against the bigger teams. Arteta’s men have won at Stamford Bridge, beaten an albeit woeful Manchester United side, and tested both Liverpool and Manchester City at the Emirates during the second half of the campaign.

There have been severe shortcomings, especially in the last two games, along with the three-game stretch that saw Arsenal succumb to Crystal Palace, Brighton, and Southampton. But overall, no one can doubt that there has been improvement this season – even if some find it hard to admit.

Regardless of how the season ends against Everton, we have seen strides in the right direction. Sometimes three steps forward and two steps back. But, overall, a fifth-place finish, the shifting of deadwood, an increase in Premier League wins and a return to European football all represent progress.

There’s reason to believe in the Mikel Arteta project, folks.