Wenger is Gunner stay

Whether you love or hate him it has been confirmed that Arsene Wenger will be staying in the Premier League at Arsenal for another two years.

The news will undoubtedly cause a mixed reaction amongst Arsenal fans and, regardless of whether it is the right or wrong decision, I'm going to get behind the team, the manager and the players and cheer them on next season.

I have been a long-term admirer of Wenger since he arrived at our club over 20 years ago and even when things have been tough I've stuck by him. However, even my normally very optimistic self started to question things this season. Although it ended on a high with lifting the FA Cup following a fine performance over Chelsea, our league campaign was simply not good enough. I began wondering whether his time was up and was actually thinking it was time for a change and would have backed any new manager that came in.

But he's staying and that is that and it is better to focus energy on getting behind him rather than throwing criticism at the man. Yes he has to accept a big portion of the blame and the league campaign really was disappointing, but the deal is done and dusted so criticism won't help and if anything will have a negative effect on the field. So we need to make sure we accept the news and get behind him, but he does need to make improvements and certainly make some signings. Regardless of how it pans out I think the club need to be looking at the potential successor for when Wenger does decide to call it a day.

I think what frustrated me the most this season was missing out on Champions League football and also how Jekyll and Hyde we were. I totally accept teams can't win every game and will suffer blips, but it felt more frustrating this season. Weirdly we finished fifth with a higher points tally than that which saw us finish second the season before, but the manner of some of the performances hurts more than the actual points tally or league position. How poor we were in defeats to Crystal Palace, West Brom and Tottenham was not good enough and at times we
didn't even seem to be showing any fight. The 3-0 loss at Crystal Palace was probably my lowest point of the season. Credit to Palace, who also beat Liverpool and Chelsea, but the performance from us was embarrassing.

Things started to get better when Wenger switched to a back three and yet again we finished strongly with five consecutive league wins and FA Cup glory, but this time it wasn't enough to sneak into the top four. Missing out on Champions League football is a huge loss, but even if we had finished fourth would that really have been good enough? I say no! Whilst being in the Champions League every year up until our recent failure is very impressive, we seem to make the same mistakes. Yes the opposition in the knock-out stages especially are superb and there is no shame in being knocked out against top sides, but the manner in which we keep doing so is beyond frustrating.

We need to learn from our mistakes and sign some players. Wenger in some ways is right to back the players at his disposal as we do have some great talent, but when we keep making the same mistakes over and over again we need to see some action now. My number one priority if I was Wenger would be to sign a top class striker - one that will get us 25-30 goals a season. I feel we also need a midfielder and for Santi Cazorla to get back on the pitch as soon as possible as we really struggled without him. Equally as important would be to tie down several players including Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to new contracts.

He doesn't necessarily have to spend massively, but the thing for me is for Wenger to be proactive to counter the mistakes. Yes, you can't always help the fact that the opposition is amazing, but maybe we need to be better at adapting our tactics for certain games. As well as a top class striker we are also missing a Patrick Vieira type player. In some games we have fallen apart too easily and, although one player doesn't make a team, we need some extra experience in the middle especially with the news that Cazorla looks like he could be out until at least November.

Losing 10-2 on aggregate to Bayern Munich was embarrassing and the score flatters them to an extent, but it also shows that huge mistakes were made. We actually played well in the first half of both games, but crumbled in the two second halves. We love playing our attractive attacking football, but we need to be ultra careful when we concede because too often European ties have gone from looking decent to over far too quickly. On the flip side we've then managed performances such as the 3-0 league demolition of Chelsea, an impressive dominant 2-0 home win over Manchester United and FA Cup glory. How can we be so inconsistent!?

For me next season is about proving we can learn from our mistakes. Per Mertesacker isn't the greatest defender around, but put in a heroic performance in the FA Cup final. Mesut Ozil, who disappeared at times during the season, suddenly looked alive and full of energy. There was a real winning mentality about us on that day and also in the semi-final and we need to make sure we do that again. We have proved we can match the big sides and perform well, but we've also shown that we can easily capitulate. Yes we've had bad luck with injuries, but if Per Mertesacker can step up to the plate in a huge game, there's no reason why other players can't. That isn't to be disrespectful to the World Cup winner, but illustrates things are possible.

Hopefully finishing outside the top four will be the kick up the backside we need. Wenger and the players will not want that feeling again and it is up to them to make sure we do much better next season. Can we? Definitely. Will we? I'm not so sure. In some ways we are predictable, but in other ways you never truly know what Arsenal side is going to turn up from one game to the next. Let's hope next year is one to remember!

The readers probably aren't used to me being this critical, but we can't hide behind that poor league campaign. I really do wish Wenger well in the next two years and will get behind him and the lads. Whether he stays for two more years or more we need to show unity now and focus on supporting the team. When he does eventually step down I will look back on his reign fondly and remember the good times, but who knows, maybe, just maybe this two years is the chance for him to right some wrongs!

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Record-breaking Gunners lift FA Cup

Regardless of whether we are in the final or not I have always loved the FA Cup! There is something extra special about it so to see my beloved Arsenal lift it for the third time in four years with victory over Chelsea felt amazing!

Although Alexis Sanchez's fifth-minute opener caused controversy, Arsenal were more than worthy of the victory. Our defence led by a surprisingly outstanding performance by club captain Per Mertesacker were superb in the way they stifled Chelsea's attack at Wembley. The makeshift back three of Mertesacker, Nacho Monreal and Rob Holding really were excellent!

Mesut Ozil has been under-fire at times this season for his performances, but he really stepped up to the mark and was excellent throughout. It was nearly the complete performance by Arsenal and their chances were boosted further when Victor Moses was dismissed for a second yellow card.

But when Diego Costa levelled the scores after 76 minutes I did begin to wonder whether having not converted our dominance into more goals would come back to haunt us. Fortunately Aaron Ramsey was on hand to fire home an FA Cup Final winner three minutes later, just as he had done against Hull back in 2014.

Although I'd prefer to focus on the positives of a fine FA Cup win, there was a hint of frustration on the day as I was left wondering why we couldn't have performed like this on a more consistent basis this season. We outplayed league champions Chelsea in a 3-0 win at the Emirates and thoroughly deserved the cup win, yet we finished outside of the top four and put in some very average performances in other games. That makes things all the more frustrating in terms of our overall season, but winning the FA Cup still feels fantastic.

The victory over Chelsea saw us become the most successful club in FA Cup history after lifting the trophy for a 13th time. If this is to be manager Arsene Wenger's last game then what a performance to bow out on, but I think he'll be with us for a while yet.

We thoroughly deserved the win, but it is hard to argue with the fact that we opened the scoring in rather fortuitous circumstances. Sanchez's initial pass over the top was blocked before it hit the Chilean, who then raced onto it before slotting the ball under Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Sanchez's effort was initially ruled out for offside against Aaron Ramsey, but referee Anthony Taylor overruled his assistant and gave the goal. Ramsey didn't touch the ball and I don't feel he was interfering with play either. However, there was an element of fortune as it looked like the ball had hit Sanchez's hands in the build-up to the goal. It certainly wasn't intentional, but Chelsea fans were understandably annoyed as I admit I probably would have been had it happened at the other end.

We continued to control the game and really should have put the result beyond doubt before half-time, but fortunately those chances didn't come back to haunt us later.

Ozil latched onto Sanchez's pass before lifting a shot beyond Courtois, but Chelsea defender Gary Cahill was on hand to superbly clear the German's effort off the line.

Danny Welbeck's header hit a post before the striker was later thwarted by Courtois as Arsenal tried to find a second goal. Courtois was again called into action before the break as he produced a fine save to keep out Granit Xhaka's volley.

Chelsea improved in the second half with N'Golo Kante's deflected strike stinging the palms of David Ospina in the Arsenal goal. The Colombian goalkeeper was called into action again soon after and produced an excellent save to keep out Moses' effort.

Pedro curled a shot just wide as Arsenal's dominant performance started to look under threat of being undone, but Arsenal held firm and every single player stood up to be counted to ensure it would be the Gunners' day to remember.

Arsenal also continued to pose an attacking threat with Hector Bellerin forcing a decent save out of Courtois before the referee made his second big call of the game. Moses cut into the box before going down under a supposed challenge by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but there was no contact and the Chelsea man was booked for diving and subsequently sent off as it was his second yellow.

It looked as though things were going our way until Costa levelled the scores 14 minutes from time. The Spanish forward controlled the ball with his chest before his shot deflected in off Mertesacker.

Although we eventually ran out deserved winners, I started to worry about Chelsea nicking a victory out of nowhere after Costa's equaliser. Instead we grabbed the decisive goal with just 11 minutes left to play. Substitute Olivier Giroud ran onto the ball before cutting it back across goal for Ramsey to head home and send us into raptures.

It could have been three soon after, but Bellerin's effort went agonisingly wide of a post and that miss very nearly proved costly. But Diego Costa was unable to add his second as Ospina produced a decent save to deny him from close range.

Ozil raced into the box late on and turned the defender before seeing his shot hit a post, but it didn't matter as Arsenal held on to become deserved FA Cup winners!

OPPOSITION VIEW
Chelsea fan John Feeney felt the opening goal should have been disallowed, but admitted that the better side won on the day.

"Chelsea came out of the blocks slow and didn't seem to be playing with the same intensity as Arsenal," said Feeney. "Maybe they were complacent with Arsenal's injuries in defence.

"Although I thought Arsenal's first goal should have been ruled out for Sanchez's handball, I thought they could have been three or four up by half-time.

"Chelsea were sloppy, not helped by the high pressing tactics used by Arsenal. I felt Chelsea were getting back into the game in the second half, and even though we scored after the red card, Moses was rightly sent off for an embarrassing dive and made it much easier for Arsenal to counter towards the end.

"Overall Arsenal deserved their win, but Chelsea will still be happy with their league success."

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
We definitely need to improve in the league and no Champions League football next season will be hard to take, while the uncertainty of Wenger's future remains in the balance.

The Gunners boss revealed his future should be clear by Wednesday or Thursday and, although my gut instinct thinks he will stay, realistically anything could happen.

Regardless of the games prior to it, the FA Cup Final win over Chelsea will definitely live long in the memory. It was a top quality performance and we proved we can match them in a big game. The two sides meet again in the Community Shield in August, but so far it is Wenger 2 Conte 1.

Improvements definitely need to be made over the summer, but that FA Cup victory really did feel sweet!

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Gunners miss top four despite win

Missing out on Champions League football really hurts! Although we showed great resilience with 10 men to beat Everton 3-1, it didn't stop us from finishing outside the top four for the first time under Arsene Wenger.

I heard a stat that our tally of 75 points was the most points gained by a side not to get into the top four. In some ways that shows just how competitive the league has been, but we have also thrown some really silly points away.

Hector Bellerin capped a great performance with the opening goal before Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey scored, either side of Romelu Lukaku's consolation, to ensure the Gunners ended their league campaign with a victory. But the win came at a cost with on-field captain Laurent Koscielny's red card meaning he will miss the FA Cup Final, along with fellow defender Gabriel who picked up what looks like a nasty knee injury.

Arsenal started brightly with Danny Welbeck sending an early effort wide before the Gunners opened the scoring after just eight minutes. Mesut Ozil cut the ball back and Welbeck miscued his strike, but he was soon let off as Bellerin arrived to fire the ball home. That goal temporarily lifted Arsenal into the top four and it's a shame we couldn't stay there, but we only have ourselves to blame.

Six minutes later Arsenal's hopes were left hanging by an even thinner thread as Koscielny saw red for a sliding tackle on Enner Valencia. Both players were going at full speed for the loose ball and Koscielny took out his opposite number so the red, although not malicious, was the correct decision.

Arsenal didn't let the red card affect them and continued to control the game for large spells before doubling their lead after 27 minutes as Welbeck set up Sanchez to score from close range.

Joel Robles had an impressive game in the Everton goal and he palmed away Sanchez's free-kick to prevent Arsenal from adding to their lead before half-time.

Everton finished the first half strongly with Gabriel blocking Valencia's shot before Idrissa Gueye saw his effort parried behind for a corner by Petr Cech. The Arsenal goalkeeper was called into action again soon after as he tipped Lukaku's looping header over the bar. The Belgian striker wasted the chance to reduce the deficit before the break as his shot was deflected wide.

After 44 minutes things were looking good for Arsenal as they held a 2-0 lead and Liverpool's game against Middlesbrough remained goalless. But midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum scored on the stroke of half-time to put Liverpool in front and Arsenal dropped back down to fifth. At this point I considered it game over as, although I thought we would hold out, I just couldn't see Middlesbrough scoring. My gut feeling proved correct as Middlesbrough couldn't find a goal and Liverpool went on to beat them 3-0, meaning we would miss out on Champions League football next season.

From speaking to some people who watched the Liverpool game, including home fans, it sounds like Dejan Lovren was lucky not to be sent off in the first half and Middlesbrough were also denied a penalty. But there is no hiding behind anything this season as we have been largely poor and deserve to miss out on the top four.

Back to the match and we very nearly made it 3-0 within three minutes of the restart, but a fine double save from Robles kept us at bay. Robles kept out Welbeck's initial effort before producing another fine save to deny Ozil from the follow up.

Although we were showing great resilience to be winning with 10 men, Liverpool extending their lead and us suffering a bad injury certainly tainted the afternoon. Gabriel looked in a lot of pain as he went down before the defender was stretchered off and to have two centre-backs suddenly become unavailable ahead of the FA Cup Final has just made our task even harder.

Everton reduced the deficit when they were awarded a penalty after 56 minutes for an alleged handball by Rob Holding. Lukaku made no mistake from the spot and suddenly our three points looked under threat. Although it wouldn't have made a difference to our fading top-four hopes, it was frustrating to see Ashley Williams, who had already been booked, get away with a foul on Welbeck.

Our lead was nearly thrown away 10 minutes later when Everton thought they had levelled via a Valencia header only to see the goal ruled out for a foul on substitute Per Mertesacker.

Everton tried to get back into the game with both Kevin Mirallas and Lukaku sending efforts off target, while Ozil forced another save out of Robles at the other end.

Substitute Alex Iwobi wasted the chance to get himself onto the scoresheet three minutes from time, but after a good run into the box he was denied by a decent save from Robles.

Arsenal were not to be denied a third goal though as Aaron Ramsey curled a lovely strike into the top corner in injury time for his first league goal of the season.

It could have been four soon after, but Robles showed good reflexes to keep out Welbeck's powerful close-range effort in what was a mixed afternoon for Arsenal. We actually did well against Everton and as a stand-alone result I was happy, but looking at the season as a whole I can't deny that we have been largely disappointing.

OPPOSITION VIEW
Everton fan Paul O'Neill was pleased with his side's season overall despite a frustrating result at the Emirates.

"In truth the match held no real importance for Everton," said O'Neill. "Finishing a whopping 15 points above Southampton shows how much a bigger club we are and justifies (Ronald) Koeman leaving and proving he is the man to lead us forward.

"Overall it was a good season after a bad start and qualification for the Europa League should be achievable. Also, with a new stadium on the horizon I would say the future is bright for the Toffees.

"As for the game, the sides' possession stats of 50/50 and similar shot tallies show this was a close affair even with it finishing 3-1. The sending off for Koscielny was justified, but never really threw Arsenal off the game. A stupid end of season challenge from him.

"I thought coming into the game an Arsenal banker was on, but it wasn't really a walk over and much tighter which probably shows Everton haven't got a million miles to come to be up there.

"Although Arsenal aren't exactly up there, missing out on Champions League, I wish them a fruitful campaign on the Europa League front in which hopefully Everton can prosper too."

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
We have played some great football at times, but the Premier League season has been largely disappointing for us and results like the defeats to West Brom and Crystal Palace really cost us dearly.

There can be no excuses and we deserved to finish where we did and it is now about how we respond from this setback. Whether or not Wenger leaves in the summer remains to be seen, but whatever happens we certainly have to spend. We need to ensure we get the contracts of Sanchez, Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain sorted as soon as possible and we also need to bring some new players in.

But we can't think about what is going to happen in the summer yet as there is still one huge game left to play. Regardless of whether we are in the final or not I always love the FA Cup so I am delighted that we will be part of this year's spectacle.

Chelsea will be the firm favourites so we will need to produce a huge performance on the day to stand any chance. Losing Koscielny and Gabriel has made our task even harder and Chelsea will understandably be favourites to win. But we can't go into the game with that attitude, we have to believe we can get a result and make sure we show more hunger on the day and perform to our full potential. You never know!

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Sanchez double keeps hopes alive

Arsenal's slim hopes of finishing in the top four will go to the final day of the season after Alexis Sanchez struck twice in a 2-0 win against already-relegated Sunderland.

The hosts had over 30 shots, which highlighted their dominance of the game, but a combination of great goalkeeping by Jordan Pickford and poor finishing left the Gunners waiting until the latter stages of the match to secure the points.

Regardless of what happens on the final day of the season and in the FA Cup final, this match once again emphasised the need for Arsenal to sort out the future of Sanchez as soon as possible. The Chilean, who has now scored 23 league goals this season, was our saviour once again and the club needs to do everything in its power to ensure he stays at the Emirates.

Sanchez had a goal disallowed in the first half due to the shot hitting a hand on its way in, while Olivier Giroud forced a decent save out of Pickford in the Sunderland goal.

Hector Bellerin and Granit Xhaka both sent efforts off target as the Gunners continued to create chances, but for all their dominance Arsenal very nearly fell behind just after the half hour mark. Didier N'Dong was put through on goal, but Petr Cech did well to deny him before the Gunners' goalkeeper palmed away a shot from Jermain Defoe soon after.

Bellerin sent a shot into the side netting, while Aaron Ramsey saw his effort well parried by Pickford. From the resulting corner Rob Holding headed straight at Pickford as the scores remained goalless going in at the break.

Although they had been on the backfoot for most of the first half, Sunderland nearly took a shock lead soon after the restart. Cech was forced to get a hand onto Nacho Monreal's firm backpass to push it away to safety. Sunderland were awarded an indirect free-kick soon after and Sebastian Larsson's lobbed effort was defended well and headed over the crossbar by Rob Holding.

Arsenal continued to create, but waste chances, as Aaron Ramsey saw his effort cleared away off the line by Javier Manquillo. Pickford was also called into action soon after, this time getting enough on the ball to put substitute Danny Welbeck's strike behind for a corner.

The Gunners finally made the breakthrough 18 minutes from time and there was definitely a huge sense of relief as the goal went in. Xhaka released Mesut Ozil in the box with a fine lofted pass before the German international squared the ball for Sanchez to score from close range.

Xhaka and substitute Alex Iwobi were denied by more decent goalkeeping from Pickford before Arsenal doubled their advantage to put the result beyond doubt after 81 minutes. Giroud latched onto a fine pass from Shkodran Mustafi before hooking the ball towards goal. Pickford managed to palm Giroud's initial effort away, but Sanchez was on hand to head home.

The scoreline was not as convincing as it should have been, but we did what mattered most and got all three points. There is now just one game left of our league campaign and, although our hopes are slim, we still have an outside chance of making the top four.

We will lie in fifth place going into the final round of Premier League fixtures. Just one point separates us from fourth-placed Liverpool, while we are three behind Manchester City in third. If we can beat Everton at home in our final league match of the season, we can only snatch fourth spot if Liverpool drop points against Middlesbrough or if Manchester City somehow get battered by Watford.

Fourth looks very unlikely, but as the old saying goes, it ain't over until the fat lady sings!

OPPOSITION VIEW
Sunderland fan Shaun Clewes was left feeling frustrated after his side's performance at the Emirates.

"It was poor from us again," said Clewes. "Poor defending and toothless up front sums up our season.

"Pickford and Defoe are the only gut who can hold their heads high this season. It was an inevitable Arsenal win."

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Decent result, but that performance wasn't quite good enough. Yes we created a plethora of chances and yes Pickford had a great game in goal, but our ratio of shots to shots on target was inexcusable. We need to get better at killing games off much earlier. If Welbeck can stay fit for more of a season, and if Perez can get a decent run of games, we might do better. But I still feel that we need to sign a top class striker likely to get us 25+ goals a season. That would make the real difference!

As much as I would love Arsenal to sneak into the top four, I just can't see it. Although I think we have a good chance of beating Everton, I can't see Liverpool getting anything other than a win against Middlesbrough. Even if Watford can get something out of their clash with Manchester City goal difference wouldn't be enough, so it looks like we'll miss out on the top four unless a footballing miracle happens.

But however unlikely our chances are it is still mathematically possible so we need to get behind the lads and believe! Let's give it one final push and hope other results go our way!

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Giroud double sees Gunners smash Potters

The race for fourth is still possible for Arsenal after Olivier Giroud struck twice in the 4-1 win at Stoke.

Mesut Ozil added to Giroud's opener before a controversial goal from Peter Crouch hauled Stoke back into the game with 23 minutes left to play. It had the potential to be a very nervy finish, but Alexis Sanchez and Giroud ensured Arsenal left the Britannia with all three points.

The Gunners are now one point off fourth-placed Liverpool and three behind Manchester City with just two games left to play. If West Ham can do us a favour against Liverpool, the race for fourth will be in our own hands if we can beat Sunderland and Everton. But should Liverpool win, we'll have to win both games and hope the others slip up in other games.

Stoke is a ground we haven't had too much luck over the years, so it was always going to be a tricky match, but we looked confident for large spells of the game and only good saves from Jack Butland kept the scores goalless until just before the break. The Potters goalkeeper did well to deny Sanchez and Shkodran Mustafi, while Nacho Monreal saw his effort hit a post. At the other end Marko Arnautovic's free-kick sailed off target.

Sanchez sent a shot into the side netting as the Gunners continued to create chances and three minutes before half-time we finally broke the deadlock to take a deserved lead. Birthday boy Francis Coquelin set up Hector Bellerin, who raced into the box and crossed for Giroud to score from close range.

A one-goal lead was always going to be dangerous so I felt more confident of getting a good result when Ozil doubled the advantage within 10 minutes of the restart. Ozil and Sanchez combined well with the German international latching onto a perfectly-timed pass from Sanchez before beating the defender and coolly dinking the ball in over Butland.

Mame Biram Diouf headed just wide when it looked easier to have scored as Stoke tried to find a way back into the game. Petr Cech, who has made some key saves in recent games, then preserved our lead when he tipped Bruno Martins Indi's header over the bar on what was his 400th Premier League appearance.

But Stoke reduced the deficit and suddenly the game looked like it could be set for a very nervy final 24 minutes. At first, when seeing the goal in real time, I thought Crouch had scored a fine header. But as soon as I had seen the replay I was in agreement with others that Crouch had clearly used his hand to direct the ball into the net.

Arsenal restored their two-goal advantage just 10 minutes later. Shortly before his goal Sanchez had signalled to the bench that he needed to come off, but he was left on for an extra few minutes and it paid off. Rob Holding passed to Bellerin, who in turn set up Sanchez and the Chilean broke into the box and fired a low shot into the bottom corner of the net.

Sanchez was then withdrawn and replaced by Ramsey, who nearly made an immediate impact, but the Welsh midfielder was denied by a save from Butland. Hopefully the injury to Sanchez isn't too bad as we really need our star man for the remaining two league games and the FA Cup Final.

Four minutes later though and it was 4-1! Ramsey was forced away from goal, but still managed to send the ball back across goal for Giroud to fire home his second of the match.

All eyes will be on Liverpool's trip to West Ham and hoping for a favour from our London rivals! Relying on other results is nerve-wracking, but at least we did our job in style...now we must wait!

OPPOSITION VIEW
Stoke fan Loz Crouch believes the frustrating performance summed up his side's season.

"Well that was our season in a nutshell," said Crouch. "Awful start, a brief rally in the middle to give us a bit of hope before petering out feebly at the end.

"I missed the first half due to a teenager's volleyball game which overran - I ended up wishing it had lasted even longer. Having only beaten bottom-half fodder all season, this game was our last chance to beat a "top" team this season and go out on a high. Needless to say we didn't even come close to grasping the opportunity.

"For a lot of people that will have been the final straw regarding Hughes. We simply don't capitulate to Arsenal at home, it's become a matter of principle. Nothing encapsulates our recent decline better than the fact that two years ago we saw out the season with a 6-1 thrashing of Liverpool, whereas this year we're limping to a heavy home defeat in front of a rapidly-emptying stadium.

"As for the game itself, what is there to say? Our defending was all over the place, Glen "contract extension" Johnson looked about twice as old as he actually is, midfield nowhere to be seen and completely toothless up front (until the ever-reliable Crouchy added to his "headed" goals tally).

"Good goals from the Arse but it was all too easy really... The writing was on the wall from the first whistle, and unless Leslie Mark Hughes has an exceptionally effective summer and an explosive start to next season, it might be for him too."

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Regardless of what happens to other teams we need to focus on our own job and getting three points from our midweek home game against already-relegated Sunderland.

Although the Black Cats can't beat the drop and have little to play for, they are still going to want to end the season on a high and they can mathematically still avoid finishing bottom of the table.

This should be another win for us, but I am taking nothing for granted. No game is easy in the Premier League and we will have to make sure we put in another good performance to get a result!

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Away win puts Gunners fifth

It definitely wasn't the greatest performance, but goals from Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud kept Arsenal's hopes of a top-four finish alive following a 2-0 win at Southampton.

League trips to Southampton hadn't been kind to us in recent seasons as we headed into the game winless in our last five visits, excluding our thumping 5-0 away victory in the FA Cup back in January.

It looked like it could be another frustrating league encounter at St Mary's as Petr Cech made two crucial saves to keep the scores goalless going in at half-time. But Sanchez's turn and shot finally broke the deadlock on the hour mark before Giroud's late header sealed all three points to lift the Gunners up to fifth.

Arsenal are now three points behind the top four with just three games remaining and, although Manchester City and Liverpool will be firm favourites to finish third and fourth, it isn't mathematically over just yet.

Southampton enjoyed the better of the chances in a fairly quiet opening 20 minutes. Saints' skipper Steven Davies sent an early shot over the bar before Nathan Redmond saw his effort deflected behind for a corner.

Manolo Gabbiadini made a good run forward and put a cross into the box for Dusan Tadic, but Cech got there in the nick of time to get to the ball first and stop any effort at goal.

At the other end Aaron Ramsey fired a low shot wide before both the Welsh midfielder and Sanchez saw efforts blocked by the home defence.

Southampton came closest to opening the scoring on the half hour mark as Shkodran Mustafi recovered well to deny Tadic with a last-minute tackle, but the ball fell to Gabbiadini, whose rebound was excellently kept out by Cech.

Arsenal suffered a blow six minutes later when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has arguably been their best player in recent weeks, was forced off injured and I am keeping my fingers crossed it is only a minor problem as we really need him back soon!

Southampton once again came close to breaking the deadlock just before half-time, but Redmond's powerful strike from outside the box was excellently tipped over by Cech.

Arsenal also wasted a chance on the stroke of half-time as Mustafi's header was comfortably saved by Fraser Forster in the Southampton goal.

Chances were few and far between in the opening 15 minutes of the second half as Davis sent a shot way off target, while at the other end Ramsey's shot sailed wide of a post.

But the Gunners finally made it count on the hour mark when Sanchez produced a great turn and twisted around the defence and worked space for himself to slot the ball home.

Southampton had a chance to level the scores soon after as Gabbiadini surged forward and rounded Cech, only to fire into the side netting, but it mattered little as it was pulled back for offside anyway.

Granit Xhaka nearly netted his second goal in as many games soon after, but his shot from outside the box was well parried by Forster.

Southampton wasted three further chances to get themselves back into the game as James Ward Prowse headed over the bar before Maya Yoshida saw his effort comfortably saved by Cech. Substitute Sofiane Boufal did excellently to beat three players on the edge of the area, but he let himself down with the end product as his shot sailed harmlessly off target.

Those missed opportunities proved costly for the hosts as Giroud, who had only been on the field for three minutes, put the result beyond doubt to seal the points for Arsenal. Sanchez's cross was nodded back across goal by Ramsey for Giroud to power a header home.

With just seven minutes remaining the points looked safe for Arsenal and, in truth, neither side really threatened in the closing stages of the game apart from an off target effort from Boufal.

Arsenal held on to move up to fifth, but whether it will help Arsenal end up in the top four over the next few weeks remains to be seen.

OPPOSITION VIEW
Southampton fan Mavis John was left frustrated by the result, but Gabbiadini gave her reason to take some positives from the match.

"This match seemed to follow the pattern of many Southampton matches these days - not very exciting and the usual inability to put chances away," said John. "14 shots, 3 on target, but no goals.

"Encouragingly though, there was some good play and Gabbiadini looked to have recovered some of the form he'd shown before his injury. Those fans who are fed up of (Claude) Puel won't necessarily change their opinion after this match!"

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
I'm sure any of us watching the game could pick fault with the performance, but I would rather focus on the result and winning the game is what matters most.

I am starting to believe that maybe we can win all our remaining games, but I'm not convinced Manchester City will drop any points. But what is certain is that we have to be ready to take advantage of any slip up by Pep Guardiola's men and Liverpool.

We face Stoke away, which is always a tough trip, in our next game, but it is also one that we are more than capable of getting a result in should we play to our full potential. City and Liverpool also have potential banana skin games against Leicester and West Ham respectively, but I simply can't see City slipping up.

While finishing in the top four remains a mathematical possibility we need to focus on our own task and battle hard until the end and just hope lady luck can do us a favour!

COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Wenger ends Mourinho hoodoo

Arsene Wenger has finally beaten Jose Mourinho in the Premier League and at the same time kept Arsenal's slim hopes of a top-four finish alive!

After a rather uneventful first half the Gunners hit two goals in three minutes through Granit Xhaka and former United player Danny Welbeck to seal all three points.

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the game live and, although there were still some frustrations, I was largely impressed with what I saw as we looked comfortable on the ball for large spells.

Laurent Koscielny was excellent and, apart from a poor back pass that almost cost a goal, Rob Holding put in an assured performance. Alex Oxlade- Chamberlain was again one of our stand-out players and Aaron Ramsey put in a decent shift, but I couldn't help but find Mesut Ozil frustrating at times. There is no doubting his ability when he hits top form, but at times he seemed to leisurely chase the ball and in my opinion he hasn't been at his best for a while. He can be a great player and he did actually play fairly well against United, but I really hope we can see him back to his best soon!

We haven't got the best record against the other so-called 'big' sides in recent seasons so it was great to see us get one over on United. Yes, some might argue they fielded a slightly weaker team with the likes of Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford on bench, as Mourinho rested players ahead of their upcoming Europa League match. But I feel the side they put out was still strong enough to compete and we deserve credit for claiming a well-deserved win against them. It doesn't paper of the cracks of what hasn't been a great league campaign for us, but this was certainly a good performance and result.

We restricted them to less chances than I expected so credit must go to the defence and midfield for shutting them down and limiting their opportunities. Ending Manchester United's 25-match unbeaten run in the process made it all the sweeter, but we must push on and be more consistent.

Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech kept the score goalless with a decent save to push Anthony Martial's shot away for a corner. At the other end Cech's opposite number David de Gea produced a fine save to parry Ramsey's effort wide for a corner.

Danny Welbeck saw a scrambled effort blocked by Phil Jones before Oxlade-Chamberlain saw his strike saved by de Gea. We were playing in a positive way and, although it was a good save by the goalkeeper, we weren't testing de Gea enough.

Manchester United nearly scored against the run of play following a poor loose back pass from Holding. Wayne Rooney latched onto the stray pass, but Cech stood his ground to block the England striker's effort.

A quick-fire doubled ultimately sealed the victory in the second half, starting with Xhaka's opener within nine minutes of the restart. The Swiss midfielder picked up the ball outside the box and hit a shot from long-range. It was a great strike and was aided into the net by a deflection off Ander Herrera's back, which sent the ball looping over de Gea.

Regardless of how the two sides were playing I knew Manchester United could easily suddenly get a goal, so I was both delighted and relieved as we doubled our lead just three minutes later. Oxlade-Chamberlain delivered an excellent cross for Welbeck to power home a header in off the crossbar. Oxlade-Chamberlain is in good form at the moment and I hope Wenger does everything in his power to tie him down to a new contract as soon as possible.

Cech had to be alert to save Rooney's free-kick and the striker also saw another shot sail off target as Arsenal held on for the win.

OPPOSITION VIEW
Manchester United fan Aran Scarrott

"Well, it's disappointing to lose, clearly," said Scarrott. "Having said that, Jose told us in the week that priority was going to the Europa League game on Thursday and given that he made eight changes. That was clearly the case.

"I'd say we went there thinking a draw would be a decent result and, from what I saw, the game had 0-0 written all over it until that hideous deflection. That's a sickening way to concede a goal when you've been defending well in the game.

"Sometimes those go for you and sometimes against, that's football, but Ander Herrera needs a good long look in the mirror, what was he doing!?

"I think the deflation from that led to their second goal which was far too easy and it was game over then.

"I'm not too down about it, we can still make top four, although it's looking less and less likely, but we're all dropping silly points so who knows.

"Got to look ahead to Thursday now and if we win that one then we have a European final to look forward to, 90 minutes away from a trophy and Champions League football next season.

"If it pans out then I guess we can say Jose was right to let Arsene finally have his day."

MY FINAL THOUGHTS
As good as that victory felt, we really need to make sure it counts for something now. Although the race for fourth depends on other results and is out of our hands, we must focus on making sure we do everything in our power to give ourselves a chance.

Four league games left now, starting with our game in hand at Southampton in midweek, and realistically we need to get the maximum 12 points to have any hope. Southampton, Stoke, Sunderland and Everton are all winnable games if we play to the best of our ability, but we have been too inconsistent this season so it is impossible to predict how it will pan out.

After the victory over Manchester United and Liverpool's draw against Southampton we have clawed back some of the deficit in the race for a top-four finish. We have a game in hand over the two Manchester clubs and two over Liverpool so we still have a slim chance and cannot give up while there is still hope.

We are two points behind United and six points off Manchester City and hopefully we can reduce it further with a win at St Mary's!

COME ON YOU GUNNERS