Arsenal has ended the 2020/2021 season outside the European places for the first time in more than 20 years.
The Gunners have been struggling for much of this campaign and it would come as a minor surprise that they have not earned a place in any European competition.
The start of the European Conference League next season means that a top seven place would have gotten them into Europe, but Tottenham earned the last spot after a late rally to beat Leicester City 4-2 at the King Power Stadium.
Arsenal beat Brighton 2-0, thanks to two goals from Nicolas Pepe, but it wasn’t enough.
The club will now look to rebuild in the summer and get back inside the top four at the end of next season.
Some of the fans may have liked to be in the Conference League at least, but most seem to prefer their team not playing European football while they rebuild ahead of challenging for the top four.
The club tweeted about their season after their win over Brighton and here are some of the fan reactions:
Good end to the most frustrating season but now is the time to support the manager. No Europe is good so we can concentrate on the league
— P™ (@SemperFiArsenal) May 23, 2021
Thank god that season is over. #KroenkeOut
We go again 2021/22.
— TheArseneView (@TheArseneView) May 23, 2021
No European Conference football, superb!
— Saliba 🔴 🇵🇸 (@SalibaEra_) May 23, 2021
From 8th to 8th. Thank god the season is over.
— Sir Jenkinson (@theEpicGooner) May 23, 2021
The worst season in the last 30 years at least.@m8arteta should never have been the manager of the @Arsenal
Ninth place on the table. They are out of Europe League and of course 5 straight years with no Champions league.
A shame of team. #Arsenal— BlackJAV™ (@TheBlackJAV) May 23, 2021
There is absolutely nothing good about finishing 8th at all. Thanks to all the people in charge, this has been our worst season for over a quarter of a century. Dont try and big it up with any stupid excuse like no European football is good. No it aint and we are in a poor place as a club. Poor season and that is being straight and not glossing over it.
The moany pessimist of all time strikes once again! Despair, despair, despair! Fortunately some of us look forward too and don’t moan 24/7!
You may be a fan Reggie but supporters actually support, so you ain’t no SUPPORTER, THATS FOR SURE.
Jon, i will never overtake you. Plus i dont change my mind with the wind like you. Im a realist and unlike you, i dont slag the person off with a different opinion, i challenge the opinion, you just get personal jon. You call people children and immature when they think different to you. And jon i have news for you, you do moan! I say it as i see it.
And i repeat because i am a realist, THERE IS NOTHING GOOD ABOUT FINISHING 8TH.
This will make us learn how we can have better team to compete in epl or disappearand go to the championship next season if we are not signing we are jokers Chelsea straggle but at the end they are in
Arsenal was very very poor throughout the season. A very big mistake bringing an inexperience manager to start learning with a club of arsenal’s pedigree.
After almost two years, he still doeknow his best eleven. Chopping & changing throughout the season. We are in a deep shit.
So sorry to digress, as much as I enjoyed the two goals scored by Pepe today, I honestly think either Auba has finished or he’s not interested in playing for the shirt anymore.
I hope Arteta has learned a lot this season about how to use players and about concluding on players before giving them chances to prove themselves.
He’s not managed Saliba, Wilock, and few others well which I hope will change next season. Let any player that is not ready to play for the shirt but money go, only sign players that love the club and ready to play for the shirt not those that want to come for money, sign fighters and not suckers.
Kay, do not discount the dibilitating effect of malaria on Aubameyang. People should read up on its diagnosis and treatment; it stays in the bloodstream for years and often recurs.
By the way against Brighton he did get into some good scoring positions and hit the bar.
👍👍
What an incredibly wasteful year, all thanks to the woeful naivety of our manager, Edu the enabler and the continued indifference displayed by our absentee landlord…I’m dreading this off-season, with the endless rumours, both in and out, the always painful rhetoric regarding available funds and the ever “progressing” Arteta, the inherent player movement issues that are commonplace whenever the Euros are in the offing and my continued concern over giving this administrative branch another window…I can’t help but think where we would be now if our faith in this novice management crew was rewarded by them sticking to the original “rebuild” mandate, so at least something of some import could have been accomplished this season…somehow it’s a year later, we had a less successful campaign, didn’t properly incorporate our more youthful prospects, alienated our recently signed and only world-class player and the only bright spot is that we paid vast sums to rid ourselves of some deadwood, which we could have done last summer…oh yeah, I forgot, we did likewise get to witness some of the most negative football I’ve ever watched in my f’ing life…we’re like the footballing equivalent of Wenger’s malfunctioning zipper
Agree, I’m not sure how anyone can disagree. It is what it is without glossing over.
This has been a nerve-shattering season. To end up 26 years back after Arsene Wenger’s departure requires some soul-searching – irrespective of your previous positions: Wenger-in, Wenger out, or Wenger out if there is succession (my position).
My concerns going into the next season:
1. I do not trust that MA will settle on a first choice 11, and manage these players. He is grossly inexperienced; and did too many irresponsible acts this season. He had 4 major recommendations this season and only bowed under external pressure. Play Willock in the middle (no – loan record holder); keep Pepe on until he becomes the gem we know him to be (off and on); get ESR (finally); play Balogun (Who is that). And playing a recovering malaria patient is hilarious! Ask any doctor about malaria.
2. Who will come to play for a team that is not even going to play second-tier Europe football? Please do not rejoice about 8th place without the honest context.
3. Are the Americans converted? Are they suddenly to figure out the art of long term business. We know they are great at making profit short and medium term. But does that work for Arsenal.
In summary, anyone who is not excited right now should not be beaten up by apologists. No one can change the position of those who wish to dream. I love dreamers; but the ones who are concerned should have their say. I know that I am very concerned.
Will the “learner” manager graduate to his “provisional” manager’s licence?
Will Josh Kroenke, given the reins by father Stan, show Arsenal are ambitious and aspire to win trophies by trying to buy players of the calibre of Grealish, Bissouma, Buendia, Aarons or even “old boy” Harry Kane?
Time will tell, so all we can do is wait patiently to see what comes to pass. The cool calm resignation of the Arsenal supporter!
There is nothing good about finishing 8th behind Spurs
I love Arsenal with all my heart. I wanted to finish 7th which would have been an improvement
But we haven’t improved over last year. Except for Pepe who has improved
If Arteta is staying I’ll support him until at least January but he hasn’t impressed me at all over the past 2 seasons
The season was a disaster football wise. We have played the worst football I have seen in my years of watching Arsenal. So many poor decisions from Arteta. We have a Mickey Mouse manager, a pretend manager. I feel for our great club, for the supporters, for the players. Many of our supporters are in denial. We are a poor team, poorly managed, but a great club. When we get a we quality manager we will become great again
The final place in the league is a good thing as it has not allowed us to paper over the cracks and pretend a European also rabs league is a good thing. Let Spurs have it.
We need to use this as a line in the sand and insist on at least a solid top six finish and a strong cup run/win.
Next season we need to play Saka in one position if we want to get the best from him, buy Bissouma, Buendia and a decent pair of full backs, find some way to integrate Joe Willock and William Saliba into the first Team and move on the deadwood and malcontents (Nketia, Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi, Kolasinac etc)
There is progress but these are things that must be done if we are really going to be a real ‘big six’ club.
So Glad right now!! A big Kudos to Tottenham Hotspurs!! Let Dem go play in Europa league!!
With all due respect to the competition, We re bigger Dan it!!
If Liverpool, Chelsea, Ac Milan, Napoli, etc fought hard to stay away for it, why Arsenal fans be crying for EL qualification.??.
Let us focus on the league to win it next season!!
In 2015/2016, Chelsea had a poor season without Europa league qualification but Superbly went to win d league title d next season, 2016/2017 with Antonio Conte!!.
Season sum up:
Positives:
– more points than last season
– good run in the 2nd half
– decent defensive record
– some players gaining form, serms like they have adapted or gained confidence or recovered from injury like Pepe, ESR, Chambers, Partey, Gabriel.
– MA seems to have finally got a grasp of his team, and players to a certain extent.
– good record against most of the big teams.
Negatives:
– still finished 8th due to an awful half srason
– no Europe (tighter budget, hurts reputation, affects attracting some players, expected unhappy players due to lack of chances, one less competition to win).
– Chances created (especially to striker) is still low in number and quality)
– some players seems unhappy under MA’s man managment.
I really disliked Arteta and I would have sacked him in january but we seem to be sort of improvong, I would give him extra time and wish us luck
Ba, another positive – the player clique trying to run the team and undermining coaches and managers has been removed from the Club, notwithstanding the financial cost.
I guess how you feel about Arsenal finishing in 8th place depends upon what your expectations for the team are (or more likely what level of football you expect to watch for the exorbitant cost of your season ticket).
I do not consider a “realistic appraisal” of how low we have sunk this season as a “cry of despair”. We did win our last 5 league games, so that is good. But I did not see those wins as really convincing.
To reach the level consistency to move into the top 4, we still need better players. For example, it seems to me that, for every goal Pepe scores in a match, he loses or gives the ball away a dozen times. Yes he scored, but you cannot afford to do that against the better teams in the league!
I really hope Arteta’s love of Odegaard does not mean we will waste a lot of money to buy him. I think the money would be better spent on another solid defensive midfielder to partner Partey (with Xhaka and Elneny as back ups). I also feel we need a better first choice right back. Those would be my only two buys in the summer.
I would persevere with Nellie up front at least until Xmas. Maybe by then Auba will have overcome his health problems.
JW, attacking players like Nicholas Pepe, who take on defenders, are always likely to lose the ball when tackled. The question is does he manage to beat defenders often enough to score goals or provide assists? The answer is YES.
No European tournament meaning no players want to come to Arsenal sigh.