Arsenal missed out on Champions League qualification despite a comfortable victory over Everton on the final day of the campaign.
Mikel Arteta’s side needed to beat the Toffees and hope Tottenham lost at already relegated Norwich, but Spurs’ 5-0 win at Carrow Road meant the Gunners missed out on a top four-spot for a sixth successive season.
The hosts took the lead midway through the first half as Gabriel Martinelli stroked home a penalty after his shot struck Alex Iwobi’s arm, with the spot-kick awarded after a video assistant referee check.
Eddie Nketiah nodded in following a corner to extend the hosts’ lead on 31 minutes, before substitute Donny van de Beek, in what is likely to be his last game for Everton, side-footed in.
It proved to be a short reprieve as two second-half goals in three minutes ended the game as a contest. Both came from corners as Cedric Soares slotted home, then Gabriel poked in after Everton had initially cleared.
Martin Odegaard added a stunning late fifth consummately stroking the ball past Asmir Begovic in the Everton goal as Arsenal finished in fifth place, two points behind Tottenham.
The Gunners did all they could to try to finish in the top four for the first time since 2016, but the damage had been done in their two previous games – defeats at north London rivals Spurs and resurgent Newcastle.
The second of those losses prompted Granit Xhaka to question his team-mates’ character, but they showed an appetite to make up for their dreadful performance at St James’ Park by putting Everton under the sword in what was a rampant demolition of Lampard’s sorry men.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on the top four, the season can still be seen as progress for Arteta’s young side.
But the Arsenal boss will have to deal with the futures of Nketiah, midfielder Mohamed Elneny and striker Alexandre Lacazette, whose contracts all end this summer.
He said their futures had been “decided” but it was “very difficult to communicate”.
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