Arsenal Misses UCL Slot First Time in 20 Years!
Real Madrid pipped Barca to win La Liga after five years
Arsene Wenger’s torrid year reached a calamitous climax as Arsenal failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years after Manchester City and Liverpool wrapped up the remaining top four places on the final day of the Premier League season.
Wenger’s side won 3-1 against Everton, but Liverpool’s 3-0 victory over Middlesbrough and Manchester City’s 5-0 demolition of Watford pushed Arsenal out of Europe’s elite.
After reaching the Champions League for the last 19 seasons, Arsenal will spend next term trekking around the unglamourous outposts of the Europa League.
That indignity will cost Arsenal an estimated £50 million ($65 million) in revenue and increase the pressure on Gunners boss Wenger, who has endured a miserable season filled with fan protests and calls for his resignation.
The Frenchman, who has yet to reveal if he will sign a new contract to extend his 21-year reign, could still finish the season with silverware as Arsenal face Chelsea in the FA Cup final next Saturday.
But even that won’t be enough to quell the mutinous atmosphere among Arsenal supporters who believe Wenger has lost his edge.
Hector Bellerin put Arsenal ahead in the eighth minute, but when Laurent Koscielny was sent off six minutes later for a reckless challenge on Enner Valencia, Wenger must have feared the worst.
Alexis Sanchez increased Arsenal’s advantage in the 27th minute, but by the time Everton’s Romelu Lukaku reduced the deficit with a 58th minute penalty, it was already clear results elsewhere had conspired against Wenger.
Aaron Ramsey got Arsenal’s third, but his team were condemned to finishing fifth because Liverpool crushed relegated Middlesbrough to reach the Champions League for the first time since 2014-15.
Georginio Wijnaldum put Liverpool ahead in first half stoppage-time, Philippe Coutinho struck in the 51st minute and Adam Lallana kept the party mood going with the third five minutes later.
Liverpool finish fourth and will enter the Champions League play-off round next season as they look to make the group stages.
At Vicarage Road, City wrapped up third place and automatic entry into the Champions League group stages.
Vincent Kompany headed home in the fifth minute and Sergio Aguero doubled the lead in the 23rd minute.
Aguero scored his 33rd goal of the season in all competitions nine minutes before halftime.
Fernandinho bagged City’s fourth in the 41st minute before Gabriel Jesus made it five in the 58th minute.
Harry Kane finished as the Premier League’s leading scorer for the second successive year as the Tottenham striker’s hat-trick took him to 29 goals and inspired a 7-1 win at Hull.
Meanwhile in Spain, Real Madrid won their 33rd La Liga title and first for five years as Cristiano Ronaldo’s 40th goal of the season helped seal a 2-0 victory at Malaga late yesterday.
Ronaldo got Madrid off to the perfect start after just two minutes before Karim Benzema’s close-range finish sealed the title 10 minutes into the second half.
Madrid beat out Barcelona at the top of the table by three points as the Catalans’ come-from-behind 4-2 victory over Eibar in outgoing coach Luis Enrique’s last home game in charge wasn’t enough for a third straight title.