On the 21st May 2017, Arsenal missed out on finishing in a Champions League spot in the Premier League for the first time in 20 years.
Despite winning on the final day against Everton 3-1 and winning their previous four games in the league, the Gunners missed out on fourth place by a single point to Liverpool, who were able to secure a return to the Champions League with a comfortable 3-0 win over Middlesbrough.
It had been a disappointing season for the Gunners, whose fans knew that this could be the time that their top-four luck finally ran out and for the first time in two decades Arsenal could miss out on a Champions League spot.
Losses earlier in the season to Watford, West Brom and Crystal Palace threw Arsene Wenger’s side off course for a top-four finish despite starting the season well, losing just three of their opening 19 games but drawing to the likes of Middlesbrough.
Here’s how Arsenal fans reacted to the news of the club finishing fifth…
the streak is over pic.twitter.com/AV1JchUvJq
— TGW (YNWA) (@ThierryGotWings) May 21, 2017
— (@Mta_1991) May 21, 2017
Just like movie series We always wait for Next Season…That is our Arsenal
— ShamEyez Lolo AFC (@ShamEyez) May 21, 2017
Finishing the season with heads up high we’ve done our best. Next season will come back stronger #COYG #OnceAGoonerAlwaysAGooner
— Ahmad R (@naavlys) May 21, 2017
At least no Bayern torture next season.
— Olukotun Oluwasegun (@Shegsmith5) May 21, 2017
Let’s all just accept the europa with our body and soul. We can bring it home
— Soliu Ibrahim (@Spororon) May 21, 2017
Europa League is real…see you next season
— George van der best (@Vanderbest1) May 21, 2017
Guys we deserve this,champions league is meant for champions and not for the consolation winners..
— Fahad Khan (@FahadKhan1010) May 21, 2017
Supporters were confident that the following season could see the club return to the top-four, but they couldn’t have been more wrong.
The Gunners finished sixth in the league table and were only ever in the top-four of the table for two weeks out of the entire season as Arsenal made a joke out of themselves in what was to be Wenger’s last year as manager of the club, finishing 12 points behind fourth-placed Liverpool come the end of the season.
A semi-final defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Europa League meant it was to be another season without Champions League football for Arsenal, and this campaign has also seen the Gunners unable to finish in the top-four with one point in their past four games all but confirming a fifth or sixth-place finish for the north London side.
The Gunners do have a Europa League final to look forward to, though, which will send them back to the Champions League after two seasons away from Europe’s premium competition.
Arsenal fans, can the Gunners win the Europa League and return to the Champions League? Let us know!
