Arsenal 5-1 Everton: 3 talking points from final-day win

Arsenal rounded off their Premier League campaign in style as they claimed a comfortable 5-1 win over Everton on Sunday.

Although wrestling back fourth spot was always an unlikely prospect, the Gunners knew they had to at least keep up their end of the bargain and dominated proceedings right from the start, with some early pressure culminating in a great chance for Gabriel Martinelli who was denied by an alert Asmir Begovic.

However, the visitors’ respite was to be short lived as a quick VAR intervention midway through the first half saw the home side awarded a penalty. Shaking off his earlier miss, Martinelli assumed responsibility from 12 yards and this time made no mistake, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way with an emphatic low finish.

Goal no. 2 followed soon after and once again the Brazilian played a central role, flicking on a corner at the near post towards Eddie Nketiah who was on hand to steer the ball home for his fifth goal of the season.

Despite their utter domination, the hosts’ lead still seemed somewhat precarious and they were made to pay for some lax defending when Everton loanee Donny van de Beek found space inside the box and pulled one back right on the stroke of half-time.

In the end, it was nothing more than a consolation as Arsenal continued to dictate the game after the break and finally made their pressure count. The two-goal advantage was swiftly restored when Cedric fired home from a well-worked corner, and the Portuguese turned provider for Gabriel just three minutes later before captain Martin Odegaard completed the scoring in the final minutes.

Arsenal 5-1 Everton: 3 talking points as the Gunners claim final-day victory and confirm their Europa League status

In truth, there was a strong end-of-season feel to the game and many will be left wondering what might have been after a difficult couple of weeks. But, in any case, the damage was done long before this weekend, and it is now up to Mikel Arteta to galvanise the squad as they look to build on the work they have put in over the last ten months.

1. Arsenal confirm their Europa League status for next season

It’s not exactly what we had hoped for, but a final-day victory at the Emirates and results elsewhere mean Arsenal will be playing Europa League football again next season.

The Gunners did all they could to pile pressure on their north London rivals and put the much-changed (assorted?) Toffees to the sword with a professional, quality performance in front of a buoyant home crowd.

However, if you head into the final game needing favours from the league’s basement dwellers, something has gone horribly wrong and Sp*rs’ Carrow-Road blitz dispelled any suggestion that our Champions League hiatus would be coming to an end.

We will rue the missed opportunities but will undoubtedly come back stronger.

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2. Another game with no clean-sheet

Clean sheets are of secondary importance in any game as long as the three points are secured, but it will still be a major source of frustration for Arteta that the defensive improvement he instilled earlier in the campaign has dissipated so dramatically.

Although it ultimately counted for little, van de Beek’s first-half strike made it ten consecutive games in which Arsenal have failed to keep the opposition out and such porosity is compounded by the nature of the goals conceded, with the Dutchman drifting into the box all too easily and taking his chance unmarked inside the six-yard box.

Of course, the lengthy injury list at the back is certainly a factor in our current fallibility, and it is perhaps only natural for a makeshift- and admittedly low quality- backline to appear suspect against Premier League opposition.

However, these basic errors still need to be urgently addressed because recent injury records indicate we could well find ourselves in a similar position further down the line, and that could prove costly if fighting on multiple fronts forces us to divide resources next year.

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3. Even at this low ebb, the future still shines bright

There may be little cause for celebration following the disappointment of recent weeks, but much has been made of the youthful breakthrough at the Emirates this season and the young troupe were at their scintillating best on the final day.

From the early impact made by Gabriel Martinelli from the spot and Nketiah’s tidy finish to Bukayo Saka’s menacing set pieces and a wonderful side-footed effort by Martin Odegaard, the prodigious quartet ran the show and demonstrated their ever-improving understanding of each other’s movement throughout, as well as their extraordinary potential as an attacking force.

Unfortunately, it did not bring the immediate joy we craved, but the club has consistently prioritised long-term planning over quick fixes and it is clear we have a core of supremely talented individuals who, with hopefully a better supporting cast after the summer transfer window, will bring brighter days to north London in the near future.