10-man Arsenal miss out on Champions League qualification despite Everton win
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ByEurosport
Updated 21/05/2017 at 22:16 GMT
10-man Arsenal beat Everton 3-1 at the Emirates but have to settle for Europa League football after Liverpool overcame Middlesbrough 3-0.
Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey celebrates with teammates after scoring their third goal
Image credit: Reuters
Arsenal went ahead when Hector Bellerin reacted to a cross quicker than anyone else, and Everton were two-nil up when Alexis Sanchez was teed up by Danny Welbeck.
Between the two goals, Laurent Koscielny saw red for a wild lunge into Enner Valencia.
In the second half, Romelu Lukaku drew a goal back from the spot for Everton. More significant was a nasty-looking knee injury for Gabriel, who left on a stretcher.
Sanchez then left injured after the hour mark, giving Arsene Wenger a second, serious worry for the match against Chelsea.
Ultimately, it is a doubly disappointing end of the league season for Arsenal. Into the Europa League, and with mounting injury worries ahead of their FA Cup final.
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Aaron Ramsey of Arsenal scores his sides third goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Everton at Emirates Stadium on May 21, 2017 in London, England
Image credit: Getty Images
TALKING POINT - Can Arsene Wenger hold on?
For a brief moment, there was hope, but this game showed the traditional weaknesses. When the pressure is off and little is expected of them, they can turn on a decent performance.
But there was the brainless red for Koscielny in the first half, and it showed just what is wrong with Arsenal, still. They just cannot focus. Wenger's job may be under threat now that his failure to improve is costing the club Champions League money.
MAN OF THE MATCH - Alexis Sanchez
Sanchez was withdrawn just after the hour mark for Alex Iwobi, and he demonstrated just what Arsenal might miss.
His direct attacking play and willingness to attack gave them a second goal when they were down to 10 men. If they lose him this summer, they will find it almost impossible to afford a replacement with similar talent.
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Idrissa Gueye of Everton and Alexis Sanchez of Arsenal in action during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Everton at Emirates Stadium on May 21, 2017 in London, England
Image credit: Getty Images
PLAYER RATINGS
Arsenal: Cech 6, Holding 6, Koscielny 5, Gabriel 6, Bellerin 7, Ramsey 6, Xhaka 6, Monreal 6, Ozil 5, Alexis 7, Welbeck 6. Subs: Mertesacker 6, Coquelin 6, Iwobi 6.
Everton: Robles 6, Baines 6, Jagielka 6, A. Williams 6, Holgate 6, Gana 6, Schneiderlin 6, Davies 6, Valencia 5, Mirallas 5, Lukaku 6.
Subs: Barry 6, Barkley 5, Kone 6.
KEY EVENTS
8' - GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Everton. Bellerin scores - Ozil pulls the ball across the face of the goal for Welbeck, the ball hits him and deflects behind him. A terrible miss, but Bellerin is on hand to follow up to score.
13' - RED CARD! Laurent Koscielny scissors into Enner Valencia, and is sent off.
27' - GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Everton. Sanchez scores - Arsenal dwell on the ball as Everton sit back. Eventually, Sanchez sprints into the middle of the pitch and hammers a shot at goal. It bumps into Welbeck, nobody knows what to do but Welbeck reacts quickest, takes it away from Robles, and rolls the ball back into the path of Sanchez to tap in.
32' - ROBLES SAVE - Sanchez whips in a free kick from the left, with his right foot, and forces Robles to dive down and beat it away.
48' - SANCHEZ SHOT - Welbeck drives at goal, and Robles gets down smartly to block with his feet. It's back to Sanchez, and he beats that away too.
57' - PENALTY! Baines on the overlap, goes to cross, and it strikes Monreal's outstretched arms. An easy decision to make.
58' - GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Everton. Lukaku scores - He strides towards the ball and drills a low shot past Cech.
90+1' - GOAL! Arsenal 3-1 Everton. Ramsey scores - The midfielder receives the ball on the edge of the box, swivels towards goal, and arcs a shot into the top corner.
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Arsenal's Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey (R) celebrates with teammates after scoring their third goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Everton at the Emirates Stadium in London on May 21, 2017.
Image credit: Getty Images
KEY STAT
- Despite victory, Arsenal have finished the season outside of the top four for the first time since the 1995-96 campaign, when they finished 5th under Bruce Rioch.
- Everton are now winless in their last 21 away league games against Arsenal, last beating them in London in January 1996 (2-1).
- The Gunners have scored 95 Premier League goals against Everton – more than any club has against another in the competition’s history.
- Danny Welbeck provided two assists in a single Premier League game for only the second time – the other was in April 2012 for Manchester United, also against Everton.
- Laurent Koscielny has been sent off five times since his Premier League debut in August 2010 – no player has been red carded more in that time (Tom Huddlestone and Younes Kaboul also 5).
- Koscielny’s red card was the second time he’s been sent off in the opening 15 minutes of a Premier League game – the only player to have done so more than once (also sent off after 9 minutes vs Manchester City in 2013).
- Romelu Lukaku scored his 25th Premier League goal of the season – the most goals scored without winning the Golden Boot since Wayne Rooney’s 27 in 2011-12.
- The Gunners have conceded 10 penalty goals this season, one of just two sides in Premier League history to ship double figures of goals from the spot (Hull, 11 also this season).
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