JINSI LIVERPOOL ILIVYO CHEZA NA MAHESABU MAKALI, ARSENAL YATUPWA NJE, CHELSEA YAKABIDHIWA KOMBE EPL

Kwa mara ya kwanza Arsenal haitoshiriki Michuano ijayo ya Kombe la Mabingwa Barani Ulaya (UEFA Champions League) ikiwa ni tangu 1997-98 ingawa timu hiyo hii leo imepata ushindi wa bao 3-1 dhidi ya Everton 3-1 katika mchezo wa mwisho wa kufunga Premier League lakini matokeo hayo hayakutosha kuwawea mahala pazuri pa kupumua nao wakisalia katika nafasi ya tano kwenye msimamo.

A final points tally of 75 has only actually been bettered by eight previous Arsenal teams in 25 Premier League seasons but fifth still represents their lowest ever finish under Wenger, with Liverpool and Manchester City both winning today to ensure they join champions Chelsea and runners up Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League.

Manchester City routed Watford 5-0 to clinch third and, for 39 minutes here, Arsenal were in position to finish above Jurgen Klopp’s team after leading Everton while Liverpool were being held by Middlesbrough.

A goal on the stroke of half-time by Georginio Wijnaldum settled Liverpool and they eventually ran out comfortable 3-0 winners. It is only the second time in eight seasons that Liverpool have finished in the top four. City’s third-place finish also represents something tangible at the end of Pep Guardiola’s disappointing first season in English football and he will now seek to further rebuild his squad this summer.

The Champions League is worth around £50 million a year to Arsenal, although that loss could be mitigated by a strong Europa League campaign and also significant savings in squad bonuses.

It will make keeping Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil more difficult, however, with both players now due for talks over new contracts. There were also chants here of ‘Stan Kroenke, get out of our club’ following news that Arsenal’s second largest shareholder, Alisher Usmanov, has bid £1 billion for his 67 per cent stake.  

A major added cost today for Arsenal was a straight red card for Laurent Koscielny after a horribly late and dangerous 14^th minute challenge on Enner Valencia. 

Koscielny will now be suspended for the FA Cup final against Chelsea next Saturday. Gabriel is also almost certainly out of that game after going off on a stretcher here with what looked like a serious injury to his knee or thigh following an awkward fall. Shkodran Mustafi is currently also suffering with a virus and, although he is expected to be recovered by Saturday, either Nacho Monreal or Per Mertesacker are likely to be needed to play centre-back. Monreal generally plays wing-back and, although Mertesacker did come on here, he has not started a first-team game this season following a knee ligament operation.

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