4 players who could play their last game for Arsenal on Sunday

Oh, how it could have been so different.

After a whirlwind ten months marked by premature relegation hysteria and the recent underperformance that has all but dashed Champions League hopes, Arsenal will bring the curtain down on their tumultuous campaign this weekend when they welcome a now safe Everton side to north London.

Such end-of-year occasions often signify a changing of the guard, offering those involved some time for reflection as well as cultivating optimism to herald the start of a new chapter.

4 Arsenal players who could be playing their last game for the club on Sunday

These sentiments will certainly be felt on Sunday as several familiar faces in the Gunners’ squad will likely be making their final appearances in the famous red and white. Here are four of them.

1. Eddie Nketiah

Leading the summer exodus is improbable talisman Eddie Nketiah, whose contract will expire at the end of next month. The Hale End man has played a key role in reviving our flagging campaign- most notably with important goals against Chelsea and Leeds – and Mikel Arteta has made no secret of his admiration for him, stressing in a recent press conference that he rates him highly and has “big plans” for his future.

The 22-year-old has hitherto remained coy about the next step in his career and is committed to ending the season strongly at Arsenal before engaging in further negotiations. However, he has always sought assurances about game-time and, with multiple forwards expected to arrive in the coming months, it seems his time at the club is coming to an end.

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2. Alexandre Lacazette

And someone who could be keeping our young striker company in the departure lounge is Alexandre Lacazette. From multiple Covid diagnoses and his swift elevation to the captaincy to a slump in form that has seen him benched for six consecutive matches, the veteran Frenchman embodies the emotional rollercoaster fans have been taken on throughout the season and will be keen to end his Arsenal journey on a positive note after five years of service.

Lacazette has long retained the respect and faith of the manager, but he largely underwhelmed on the pitch when we needed experienced figures to step up following a disappointing January transfer window. And with significant financial disparities leaving contract talks in deadlock, in addition to impending changes up top, now feels like an appropriate time for both parties to go their separate ways.

3. Nicolas Pepe

Staying with the frontline and another attacker for whose Arsenal career the bell tolls is record signing Nicolas Pepe. Having failed to start a Premier League match since October and recording just one goal and one assist in 19 league appearances, the Ivorian international has had a campaign to forget and is evidently not part of the manager’s thinking.

While he may get his usual 20-minute cameo on Sunday to conjure up some final-day magic, supporters have long since lost hope that Pepe might live up to his promise and it appears the feeling of disillusion is mutual. Reports emerged this week that he has hired a new agent to secure a move away and put an end to his nightmare stint in the capital.

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4. Bernd Leno

Amidst the upheaval among the striking options, there will also be activity at the other end of the pitch as Bernd Leno is expected to seek pastures new. The former Bayer Leverkusen shot-stopper probably won’t be between the sticks to give a proper goodbye against the Toffees, but he will perhaps be remembered more fondly than his fellow departees for his efforts over the last four years – especially during his remarkable 2019/20 season that earned him second place in Arsenal’s Player of the Season awards.

An unfortunate victim of Arteta’s preferred style of play, Leno has featured just eight times in all competitions since Aaron Ramsdale’s arrival in late August and will be eager to play more to compete for a spot in the German World Cup squad this winter. And while it won’t end as he had hoped, he has shown himself to be a consummate professional and several clubs will surely be vying for his signature.

Similar to the low-key exits facing these players, Arsenal will also be denied the chance to sign off the way they wanted to at the weekend – barring any extraordinary Pukki parties at Carrow Road – and it could be difficult for the group to recover following the bitter disappointment they experienced on Tyneside.

But as mentioned earlier, such occasions typically herald new beginnings and this adversity will stand them in good stead as we aim for the next level, while the financial benefit to be felt from these departures will help to facilitate another huge transfer window at the Emirates.