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Arsenal's Olivier Giroud sees off West Bromwich Albion in Emirates sun Arsenal's Olivier Giroud sees off West Bromwich Albion in Emirates sun
(about 3 hours later)
For Arsenal, there is reassurance and no little credit in the familiar. Their membership of Europe's most exclusive football club has been renewed. For the 17th season in succession, they have made it into the Champions League, albeit with August's play-off round to come. For Arsenal, there is reassurance and no little credit in the familiar. Their membership of Europe's most exclusive football club has been renewed. For the 17th consecutive season, they have qualified for the Champions League, even if they will need a seventh play-off in nine years to make it to the group phase.
They might have had loftier goals for most the season because, until the visit to Chelsea on 22 March, they were bang in contention for the Premier League title. In that sense, the top-four finish – the bare minimum requirement of their season – has failed to set the pulses racing. The campaign has been scarred by the high-profile away-day drubbings, particularly the 6-0 at Stamford Bridge and all of the related questions about their know-how. Arsenal knew that a fourth-placed Premier League finish was secure before West Bromwich Albion rolled into town, thanks to Manchester City's defeat of Everton on Saturday and there was an end-of-season feel to the proceedings on their side, if not that of the visitors.
But Champions League qualification is not something to be sniffed at and Arsène Wenger can make a decent case for having overseen progress in relation to the most recent seasons. Arsenal have, at least, competed for the title and if they can win the FA Cup final against Hull City they will be able to sell it as a positive campaign. Much still rests on the final. The most uplifting moment came after the post-match lap of appreciation to mark the club's final home game, when Bacary Sagna's little boy dribbled the length of the field and, to huge smiles and cheers from the crowd, banged a ball that looked almost as big as him into the net. Mikel Arteta's son followed suit to prove that Arsenal do have end product.
Arsenal knew that fourth place was in the bag before West Bromwich Albion rolled into town, thanks to Manchester City's defeat of Everton on Saturday and there was an end-of-season feel to the proceedings on their side and not only at the end, when they marked their final home game with a lap of appreciation. The stroll was most notable for the home crowd making it plain to Bacary Sagna, whose contract is set to expire, that they wanted him to stay. The lap from the players and their children was notable for the plaintive cries from the home support towards Sagna Snr. They want him to stay, rather than depart on a Bosman free transfer and they told him so again and again. But as omens went, the sight of him asking the club photographer to take a snap of him with his wife and two children on the Emirates Stadium pitch did not look too positive.
It was a more important day for Albion and if Norwich City's trip to Chelsea later in the afternoon always stood to have a significant bearing on the relegation battle, Pepe Mel and his players knew that they were the masters of their destiny. They had been pepped by their home win over West Ham United from the previous weekend but they made a poor start here. There was rather less of a clamour for Arsène Wenger to sign his new contract and stay but maybe it is because the fans know that he will do so. The manager has given his word on many occasions and he was at it again here.
Set-piece concessions normally grate with managers and, very often, they undermine the week's preparations and this one was no exception. Craig Dawson stayed tight to Olivier Giroud on Santi Cazorla's corner to the point where he was actually grabbing him yet he still could not force him to check his stride. Giroud was too strong and he headed firmly past Ben Foster for his 22nd goal of the season. Fifteen of them have come in the Premier League. "I told you many times," Wenger said. "My word is my word and I'm from an ancestral period where you didn't need a pen to commit." That got a laugh, although his reasons for waiting and waiting, for dragging this saga until the very last, possibly beyond even the FA Cup final, in which Arsenal will face Hull City, continued to baffle.
There was a relaxed vibe among the Arsenal supporters, which was reflected by them batting a beach ball around in the seats behind the dugouts in the first half, although it said much for 21st-century football that a steward quickly moved in to confiscate it. There was, however, a clue. "It's not linked with the FA Cup at all [but] it was, of course, important to be in the Champions League," Wenger said. The path to the quill and ink is now surely clear.
Mesut Özil glided, he tricked and he probed. There always seemed to be something on for Arsenal when he was in possession, particularly in the transition. He had cut away from Chris Brunt, who played as a makeshift left-back to lay on the chance for Cazorla, which led to the corner for the opening goal while he twice released Lucas Podolski in the first half. "I have [had] no moments of doubt," Wenger added. "If I had moments of doubt, they would have been a few years ago when I had to say 'No' to many offers, and I committed to this club under a lot of pressure."
On the second occasion, Podolski pulled back for Cazorla, who drew a fine save from Foster. The Albion goalkeeper also stuck out a leg to divert a Mathieu Flamini cross from the byline that was bound for Özil. The afternoon became a discussion for Arsenal fans about whether their glasses were half full or empty. They had been in title contention until the visit to Chelsea on 22 March and so in one sense, the top-four place – the bare minimum requirement of the season – has failed to quicken the pulses. Wenger lamented again how the campaign had been scarred by the high-profile away-day drubbings, most gruesomely the 6-0 at Stamford Bridge, which reignited all of those questions about Arsenal's know-how.
Albion's travelling fans lived every moment. They squirmed in frustration during the first-half when their team lacked cohesion in the final third. James Morrison's attempt to catch Wojciech Szczesny off his line from 50 yards was optimistic in the extreme while Graham Dorrans did work the Arsenal goalkeeper from outside the area on 33 minutes in their only effort of note. But Champions League qualification is not something to be sniffed at and Wenger can make a case for having overseen progress. Arsenal have, at least, competed for the title and if they win the FA Cup, they will be able to sell it as a positive season. Much still rests on the final.
There was more urgency from them in the second half. Stéphane Sessègnon worried Nacho Monreal, in particular, with his pace and those in the visiting enclosure lived in the hope that one decisive moment could be fashioned. It is the hope that kills you. It was a more important day for Albion, given the fight to preserve their Premier League status and their first-half performance, in particular, was a worry. They conceded when Craig Dawson failed to contain Olivier Giroud on Santi Cazorla's corner and the striker headed his 22nd goal of the season.
The big chance for them came in the 72nd minute, when Saido Berahino worked a pass to Morgan Amalfitano and, suddenly, he was one-on-one with Szczesny. The goalkeeper closed down the angle to block. The visitors were slightly better in the second-half and Wojciech Szczesny had to block from Morgan Amalfitano in the 72nd minute but Arsenal always looked comfortable. With Mesut Özil a threat, they created the better chances and Lukas Podolski sliced against the post on 76 minutes.
Podolski sliced against the post at the other end after Jonas Olsson's error and, despite Mel's attacking substitutions late on, Albion could not find a way through. Albion could celebrate in the end when Norwich City's failure to win at Chelsea ensured their survival but the manager Pepe Mel did not inspire much optimism, either with regard to his future or that of the club. He said he would discuss whether he would stay for another year after the final game at home to Stoke City while he mentioned again the dozen or so players that will be out of contract in the summer. "West Brom has a lot of work to do," Mel said.
Man of the Match Mesut Özil (Arsenal)