Arsenal confirmed their place in next season’s UEFA Champions League with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over top-five rivals Newcastle United on Sunday, thanks to a stunning strike from Declan Rice.
The England midfielder’s thunderous second-half goal at the Emirates Stadium ended the Gunners’ five-game winless run and ensured Mikel Arteta’s side would avoid a tense final day in the Premier League campaign.
Although Arsenal are set to finish as runners-up for a third consecutive season, falling short of champions Liverpool, the result offered some consolation following a disappointing year that included a Champions League semi-final exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain and an ongoing five-year trophy drought.
Despite those setbacks, Arsenal continue to look like Liverpool’s most serious challengers heading into next season.
Newcastle, currently third on goal difference ahead of Chelsea and Aston Villa, face a tight battle to retain their Champions League spot. Manchester City, sitting sixth, could leapfrog them with a positive result against Bournemouth in their game in hand on Tuesday. Just a point behind are League Cup winners Nottingham Forest, making the race for Europe remarkably close.
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle side will need a win against Everton at St James’ Park on May 25 to seal qualification. Missing injured top scorer Alexander Isak, the Magpies struggled to convert chances despite dominating early periods of the match.
David Raya, under pressure after a poor pass to Sandro Tonali early on, recovered with a series of impressive saves—denying Bruno Guimaraes, Tino Livramento, Harvey Barnes, and Dan Burn. Sven Botman’s follow-up was also somehow kept out as Raya came to Arsenal’s rescue multiple times.
Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey both came close for the hosts in the first half, but it wasn’t until the 55th minute that Arsenal broke through. Martin Ødegaard’s clever pass found Rice, who unleashed a powerful first-time shot into the top corner beyond Nick Pope.
Arsenal pushed to extend their lead, with Bukayo Saka and Ben White both threatening, while Newcastle’s frustrations grew. Emil Krafth was booked just seconds after coming off the bench, and Dan Burn was involved in a heated moment with returning forward Kai Havertz.
Joe Willock fired narrowly over in the closing moments, but Arsenal held firm under pressure to seal a vital win and secure their place among Europe’s elite for another season.
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