Mikel Arteta:  ‘Now it’s time to deliver’

Premier League

CRYSTAL PALACE 1 (Benteke 62)
ARSENAL 3 (Pepe 35, 90+5, Martinelli 90+1)

HOW the mighty have fallen. The days of regular Champions League football – often taken for granted – replaced by a final day race to qualify for the Europa Conference League.

Conflicted fans will want to see Arsenal beat Brighton in their final game of the season this Sunday in the hope that a victory will lead to finishing above Spurs.

But what would the cost of the St Totteringham’s Day celebrations really be?

If bagging the north London bragging rights means that the Gunners qualify for UEFA’s new club competition – effectively the third division of European football – would the distractions that come with it on Thursday nights next season be worth it?

Arsenal go into the match against Brighton at the Emirates Stadium ninth in the Premier League table, a point behind Tottenham, in seventh, with Everton sandwiched in the middle.

They can’t catch sixth-placed West Ham, so their hopes of finishing in the Europa League are now out of reach. It’s Europa Conference League or bust.

After seeing late goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Nicolas Pepe secure a 3-1 win away at Crystal Palace on Wednesday, Mikel Arteta declared it is “time to deliver” – as if finishing in the Europa Conference League was a reward rather than a punishment.

“We wanted to go into the final day with every chance to be in Europe next season,” said the Gunners’ boss.

“In order to do that, we knew we had to win today and wait for some results elsewhere. We were running out of time and it looked difficult. But at the end, we found a way to do it.”

The scenes sparked by Martinelli’s goal, which gave Arsenal a 2-1 lead in the 91st minute, were akin to those seen back in August when Arteta guided his side to FA Cup glory.

“You saw me on the touchline. I’m so happy,” added Arteta. “When you’re able to win a game in the last minute, it’s always really pleasing because it shows how much the team really wants it, and [how much they] believe up to the last whistle.

“Now we have to handle that situation on Sunday. If somebody were to say to us in November or December that we could be in the position that we are in to have the chance in the last game to qualify for Europe, we would have said you are crazy, but we have done it.

“I think with the results and the number of points that we have managed to get in those months, we have earned the right to be in that position.

“Now it’s time to deliver on the final day, but unfortunately, it’s not in our hands.”

Perhaps Arsenal fans watching at home didn’t put as much stock as Arteta in the win at Selhurst Park. But they would have cheered all the same when Martinelli latched onto fellow substitute Martin Odegaard’s cross to convert from close range in added time.

Nicolas Pepe coolly rolled in Arsenal’s third four minutes later to grab his second of the game, having given the Gunners a first half lead with a well-taken volley following good work by Kieran Tierney.

Christian Benteke’s diving header on the hour mark – making the score 1-1 – had looked to have earned Palace a share of the spoils.

The question is whether a point, on this occasion, would have been better than all three for Arsenal?

Crystal Palace: Guaita, Ward, Kouyate, Cahill, Mitchell, Tomkins, McCarthy (Riedewald, 82), Schlupp, Townsend, Benteke (Ayew, 79), Zaha
Substitutes not used: Butland, van Aanholt, Mateta, Clyne, Batshuayi, Kelly, Rak-Sakyi

Arsenal: Leno, Chambers, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney (Xhaka, 78), Elneny, Partey (Martinelli, 78), Pepe, Saka (Odegaard, 65), Smith Rowe, Auabmeyang
Substitutes not used: Ryan, Soares, Mari. Ceballos, Willian, Lacazette