Despite having Champions League football within their grasp for so long, Arsenal’s wait to return to Europe’s elite club competition will go on for at least another year.
The disappointment was evident on the faces of the players and fans following Arsenal 5-1 demolition of Frank Lampard's Everton on the last of the season, as Tottenham Hotspur’s 5-0 thumping of long-relegated Norwich City made Arsenal’s emphatic win all but irrelevant.
Mikel Arteta’s young Gunners fell at the final hurdle, with injuries and perhaps inexperience taking their toll at crucial moments. Five defeats in their last seven games and a slew of injuries to key personnel completely derailed Arsenal’s bid for a top-four finish.
69 points in the last two seasons would’ve secured a top-four finish, but this season it just wasn’t meant to be. Thus, it is difficult to really assess Arsenal’s season, and that is why their fifth-place finish has created such a debate.
It’s 50-50. While half of the Arsenal fanbase views it as a failure, the other half believes there have been clear signs of progress. At the end of the day, both sides' arguments hold value.
