Victory not enough for Gunners as Reds secure top four finish

LONDON: Ten-man Arsenal beat Everton 3-1 on Sunday to complete their Premier League campaign with a fifth successive win but there was no last-day reprieve for their top-four hopes.

First-half goals by Hector Bellerin and Alexis Sanchez and a stoppage-time effort by Aaron Ramsey sealed the win but Liverpool and Manchester City also romped to victories to leave Arsenal fifth, their lowest finish since Arsene Wenger arrived to take charge in 1996.

Arsenal will be missing from the Champions League for the first time in 20 years next season and although this campaign could yet end with a third FA Cup triumph in four seasons there was a sense of unrest around the Emirates. Bellerin put Arsenal ahead after eight minutes from close range after Danny Welbeck missed his kick. Laurent Koscielny was sent off for a reckless tackle on Enner Valencia but Everton were not in the mood to try and capitalise.

The marking was non-existent as Sanchez made it 2-0 from Welbeck’s pass with his 24th league goal of the season in the 27th minute. At that stage, with Liverpool being held at home by Middlesbrough, it looked as though Arsenal could yet squeeze into the top four but as news filtered through that Liverpool had gone ahead, those hopes faded.

Romelu Lukaku halved the deficit with a penalty, his 25th league goal of the season, but Arsenal hung on and Ramsey struck with a superb curler with seconds remaining.

Arsenal finished in fifth place with 75 points, four more than they managed last year as runner-up. Everton finished in seventh spot. At Anfield Liverpool ensured a return to the Champions League by beating relegated Middlesbrough, although they will have to play in a qualifying round after finishing fourth in the Premier League, two points behind Manchester City. Needing a win to make sure of a return to Europe’s premier club competition, Juergen Klopp’s side looked edgy early on but the tension was lifted just before halftime when Dutchman Georgino Wijnaldum scored from a clever pass by Roberto Firmino. In the second half Philippe Coutinho curled in a direct free-kick and Adam Lallana added a third goal. Middlesbrough, who thought they should have had a penalty with the score at 0-0, finished as the lowest Premier League scorers this season with 27 goals.

Harry Kane won the Premier League Golden Boot for the second successive year after scoring a second hat-trick in four days as Tottenham thrashed relegated Hull City 7-1.

Kane scored his first goal in the 10th minute with a low drive from the edge of the penalty area. He added a second shortly afterwards from Kieran Trippier’s volleyed pass. Dele Alli claimed the third just before half-time for the Premier League runners-up and top scorers.

Midfielder Sam Clucas pulled one back but Victor Wanyama and Kane, completing his fifth hat-trick of 2017 in all competitions, emphasised Tottenham’s superiority with his 29th league goal of the season.

There were further goals from Ben Davies and Toby Alderweireld as Spurs followed up Thursday’s 6-1 romp at Leicester with another exhilarating show. The seventh goal enabled them to pip champions Chelsea as the league’s highest scorers with 86 goals.

Paul Pogba, set up one goal and scored another as Manchester United beat Crystal Palace 2-0 at Old Trafford in their final Premier League game of the season. Pogba played in Josh Harrop with a curling through ball in the 15th minute and the 21-year-old cut in from the left to give United the lead with a powerful shot and mark his senior debut with a goal. Pogba doubled United’s lead minutes later after Jesse Lingard drove at Palace’s defence before playing a square pass that the Frenchman slotted home.