Arsenal

Image source, Reuters

Speaking to Sky Sports on the field after Sunday's win, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said: "We're disappointed because we wanted to be here with the Premier League or the Champions League, and that's not the case. Chasing a dream has its ups and downs but, as well, make sure it doesn't get blurry and it gets recognised what we've done.

"Any other team, I've seen with one injury to finishing eighth, fifth, 16th, 17th. What my team has done, in my opinion, to sustain the level throughout the season with everything that happened, has been incredible."

Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport

Less than two minutes that took me today. Might be a new record.

In my defence I'm just an innocent Derbyshire man. Sorry, Dan (and the rest of Yorkshire).

Martin Keown
MOTD2 pundit & former Arsenal defender

Sunday's win over Newcastle means Arsenal will almost certainly finish second in the Premier League for the third year running, and of course people are asking how they might take the next step and land a major trophy.

I've been there myself and, while it can sometimes feel very easy when you are always winning things, I know how difficult it is as a player when you keep getting so close without getting any reward.

As well as your own disappointment, you have to deal with all the noise around what has gone wrong - all the doom and gloom about how you have either bottled it or your team is missing an ingredient to make you into winners.

That's what Mikel Arteta and his players are hearing now, and my Arsenal team had exactly the same issue when we finished second to Manchester United three seasons running without winning a trophy between 1998-99 and 2000-01.

Looking back now I don't feel any shame in that but, at the time, it was the toughest thing to take.

Arsenal

Image source, Reuters

Speaking to Sky Sports on the field after Sunday's win, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta added: "I probably am more proud [after this season] because of the culture that we set, because of the standards and the mindset we have set at this club, that regardless of what happens you have to seek for the best and do our best, and that's exactly what we've done."

On criticism: "That's fine. If you raise expectations, that's what comes, but make sure it's with reality and analysing probably. We are there, nobody wants us to be there. We've been there now for three or four seasons and I want to take us from there, and that's going to be difficult."

Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport

Aup!

How are we all?

Loads of Arsenal chatter to get through so less rammel from me and more button pressing!

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

While we are interested to hear from Arsenal supporters on their progress under Mikel Arteta and your two-word takes on your own club's season, we are also happy to continue the debate on which teams will miss out on Champions League qualification.

And rest assured that we will be focusing on the FA Cup final around lunchtime, when we will be hearing from Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner and Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

Right, I am handing the reins over to Ben Ramsdale now.

Aly: Re Jay - Manchester United fan here - the players should be motivated. Suppose we win against Spurs - we'll be playing Champions League football next season. Aston Villa are clearly a Champions League-level team, so the players need to show Amorim that they deserve to be at the club next season and can put in a performance. How many players can honestly say they are safe from being sold this summer? Winning the Europa League will be glossing over a record-breaking, terrible season for us.

So what do you think Arsenal fans? Is your club on the right trajectory under Mikel Arteta?

Also, with Arteta saying he was "unsatisfied and upset" with the Gunners' season, we wondered which two words you would use to sum up your club's campaign?

Send us your thoughts via:

• WhatsApp 03301231826
• Text 81111 (UK only, standard rates apply)

Please include your name and which club you support on any messages. Thanks.

Arsenal

Only Manchester City can deny Arsenal a third straight runners-up finish in the Premier League this season, with Liverpool having clinched the title with four games to spare.

The Gunners also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and Carabao Cup, leaving Mikel Arteta with one trophy (the 2020 FA Cup) since being appointed in December 2019.

Speaking in his post-match news conference on Sunday, Arteta said: "Liverpool have a trophy - we don't have a trophy. We are unsatisfied and upset, but I think we are on the right trajectory.

"What I can promise is that I will do my very best [to win a trophy] and I will give my life, and get every drop of everybody here to squeeze it and get the best out of them."

Asked whether he thought fans still backed him, Arteta added: "That's what I feel but they want more, they have expectations. We need to believe we are going to do it together."

Match of the Day 2 pundit and former Arsenal defender Martin Keown praised England international Declan Rice and the Gunners' "magnificent" second-half performance in their 1-0 win over Newcastle at the Emirates.

As mentioned, the win confirmed Champions League football next season for the Gunners.

Image source, EPA

Arsenal, meanwhile, sealed their place in next season's Champions League with a 1-0 win at home to Newcastle on Sunday that also all but wrapped up a third consecutive second-place finish in the Premier League.

They made hard work of it though, having won one of their previous six league games.

After a six-year absence from the Champions League after 2016-17, the Gunners have now qualified for three straight seasons, reaching the quarter-finals in 2023-24 and the semi-finals earlier this season.

For those just joining us, we are discussing the race to qualify for the Champions League.

There are five teams chasing the three remaining places.

Click on the links to find out what each team needs to qualify:

• Newcastle United
• Chelsea
• Aston Villa
• Manchester City
• Nottingham Forest

You can also find the latest Premier League results, fixtures, and table here, as well as Opta's predictions for Champions League qualification.

So, if eighth place does end up being enough to qualify for Europe, then it will be one from Brentford, Brighton, Fulham or Bournemouth.

Here's their remaining fixtures:

Brentford: Wolves (A)

Brighton: Liverpool (H); Tottenham (A)

Fulham: Manchester City (H)

Bournemouth: Manchester City (A); Leicester (H)

Nigel Reo-Coker
Former Aston Villa midfielder on Football Daily

Bournemouth have had an amazing season, but some people might question to say are they a club ready for European football yet and if they have the squad to go and play in Europe but they deserve it. Every game really matters now.

Champions League: Liverpool and Arsenal, plus Manchester United or Tottenham as Europa League winners. Three more places to be decided via Premier League top five.

Europa League: Crystal Palace as FA Cup winners plus sixth place in Premier League.

Conference League: Newcastle as EFL Cup winners if they finish outside the top six. Their place will likely go to the club that finishes seventh in the Premier League, if Newcastle finish in the top six.

NB: There are many different scenarios that could play out that will affect the number of places available in each European competition and how they will be dished out. Click here to find out how eighth place could be enough to secure a Conference League spot.

Image source, Getty Images

Nigel Reo-Coker
Former Aston Villa midfielder on Football Daily

It just shows how competitive this season’s Premier League has been, barring the title race, as some people might say, but there are so many teams in that middle pack that are fighting. Normally you look at seasons gone before where it is the usual subjects, middle pack are safe and there is nothing really to play for. Now, for these clubs who have had fantastic seasons, you can see they are motivated by the reward factor of if they can get these results, then they can go to Europe.

Ellen White
Former England striker on Football Daily

I feel like we know who’s been relegated. We know who’s won. So to have a bit of jeopardy for the Champions League spots is super exciting.

It’s amazing for Crystal Palace to be in Europe as well.

I think it’s exciting for fans to be going to games thinking, will we, or will we not be getting a Champions League spot going into the final day of the Premier League.

Jay: I’m interested to see Manchester United fans respond to Nigel Reo-Coker’s idea that United won’t be motivated for the game v Aston Villa, regardless of the Europa League final result. So often yesterday on TV and today on various social media I’ve heard ex-players say how this or that team won’t be motivated on the last day of the season. Surely this can’t be right?