Top four still a long way off as Arsenal limp past Leicester

Arsenal 1 Leicester 0

Arsenal kept their faint hopes of Champions League qualification alive with a scrappy 1-0 win over Leicester City at the Emirates last night. Victory was delivered via the chest of Foxes defender Robert Huth, who deflected a Nacho Monreal shot into his own net in the 86th minute of an underwhelming encounter.

The match may have pitted last year's champions against last year's runners-up but "it was a slog at times", says Sam Wallace of the Daily Telegraph.

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"For 86 minutes up until the goal for Arsenal it was a forgettable night," he says, and the final few minutes were a showcase of "modern football's petulance and posturing", with Alexis Sanchez claiming to have been hurt when a throw-in struck him on the shoulder.

Nevertheless, the result catapults the Gunners up to sixth in the table, four points behind Manchester City in fourth and six behind third-placed Liverpool, who have played two more matches.

"It goes without saying that the visit to White Hart Lane on Sunday is a must-win for Wenger's team and this being a derby anything is possible although there was not a great deal of optimism at the Emirates for much of the night," adds Wallace.

For much of the evening, Arsenal appeared to be suffering from a Wembley hangover after beating Man City in the FA Cup semi-final, but the goal improved the mood, says Amy Lawrence of The Guardian.

"Somehow Arsenal have won three games on the trot... after a dismal few weeks all is not quite dead," she writes.

They may have games in hand over Liverpool, but "the problem is that on the evidence of this desultory effort, it is difficult to see Arsenal winning them", says Matt Hughes of The Times.

After Sunday's FA Cup heroics, "Wenger's players returned to recent form by letting him down last night, although the manager was also responsible for the downturn by disrupting his side's rhythm", adds the journalist.

"Arsenal's football was one-paced... with Wenger's side epitomising one of the pitfalls of the modern game: possession without purpose. For long periods, the only creativity was provided by Bellerin's hairstyle."

Arsenal secure vital win in race for Champions League

18 April

Middlesbrough 1 Arsenal 2

Having lost their last four league games on the road, Arsenal headed to the Riverside in the knowledge that another defeat would kill off their faint hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

Fortunately for Arsene Wenger’s side, Middlesbrough are in even worse form, not having won a league game in 2017. And second-bottom Boro had managed only 12 goals in front of their own fans before the game with Arsenal, so anything less than three points would have represented another humiliating evening for the London side.

They did have to weather a nervous first 30 minutes before going on to record their first away win in the league since beating Swansea on 14 January. "It was not perfect but the commitment and focus was there," said Wenger. "It was a big test, Middlesbrough gave everything. It's one of their last chances to stay in the league… At 1-1 we found a response and managed to win."

Wenger fielded a 3-4-3 formation, the first time he has played a three-man defence since 1997.

Back then it was the formidable trio of Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Steve Bould at the back for the Gunners; against Middlesbrough it was the somewhat less daunting figures of Rob Holding, Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel.

The Arsenal defenders struggled in the first half, failing to make a single tackle, but Boro lacked a finishing touch in front of goal to exploit the space they found down the flanks.

Instead it was Arsenal who took the lead three minutes before half-time with Alexis Sanchez lofting a free-kick over the Boro wall and past the stranded Brad Guzan.

Middlesbrough equalised five minutes after the break when Alvaro Negredo volleyed home Stewart Downing's cross, but Mesut Ozil restored Arsenal's lead after 71 minutes.

Despite the victory, which moves them above Everton into sixth spot, Arsenal's Champions League hopes for next season remain slim. They trail Manchester United by four points and fourth-place Manchester City by seven, although they do have a game in hand on City.

"[Qualification] is mathematically still alive," said Wenger. "Now we have a little break with the FA Cup and then we come back again to the league… We have to win every game to have a chance to get in the top four. I think it will make the team a bit more serene."