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  • Writer's pictureMax Martin

Does Europa League exit signal end of Arsenal's faint Champions League hopes?



Arsenal saw their season left hanging by a thread last night after a 119th minute winner from Olympiacos in the Europa League round of 32.


It came just six minutes after Aubameyang's spectacular overhead kick had swung the tie back in the favour of Mikel Arteta's gooners, but it wasn't to be.


In the third minute of added time Aubameyang, Arsenal's top scorer this season, missed a great chance from six yards out to win the tie but instead left everyone inside the Emirates with their head in their hands.


An all too familiar night for Arsenal started off with six-foot-six Senegalese centre-half Papa Cisse ghosting into the area unmarked at a corner and scoring to level the tie 1-1 on aggregate.


It was a night where Arsenal's dynamic front four fell short well too often with the first shot on target of the game not coming until Nico Pepe tested the Olympiacos keeper in the 77th minute.


Mesut Ozil seemed short of ideas, Aubameyang was not in the game, Lacazette was again misfiring and Pepe could not seem to get his final ball right in an agonising watch for Arsenal fans.


Despite the ineffectiveness of the front four, it took until half time of extra time for there to be a change in Arsenal's attack when Martinelli was brought on for Alex Lacazette, a sub that should have been made much sooner.


Shkrodan Mustafi was Arsenal's best player on the night throwing himself in front of everything before coming off injured in extra time.


The Europa League seemed to be Arsenal's only real hope of getting back into the Champions League after their poor early season form left them miles behind in the chase for top 4, but now they are forced to rely on making up the seven point difference between them and fourth place.


Arsenal lie in ninth place in the Premier League, seven points off Chelsea in fourth, with 11 games left to play.


Whilst top four is possible, it seems very unlikely and Mikel Arteta would have to pull off a miracle to secure Champions League football for the North London side.


However, with the possibility of Man City's ban meaning 5th place get qualification to the Champions league and Arsenal now getting midweek breaks between games - all hope is not lost.


Arsenal face Portsmouth in the FA cup on Monday where they will be hoping to put this loss behind them and focus on Arteta's last chance of silverware this season.


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