Boss banking on final-day upset to book CL spot

LONDON - Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal can still salvage its turbulent season by defying the odds to snatch a Champions League place on the final day.

Wenger's Gunners kept their faint qualification hopes via a top-four finish alive when a second-half brace from Alexis Sanchez clinched a 2-0 win over relegated Sunderland on Tuesday.

Arsenal's sixth victory in seven games leaves it in fifth place, one point behind fourth-place Liverpool and three back of Manchester City in third.

To avoid missing out on the Champions League for the first time in 20 years, Arsenal must beat Everton at home on Sunday, while hoping for a slip by either Liverpool or City.

If Jurgen Klopp's Reds overcome relegated Middlesbrough and City avoids defeat at Watford, then Arsenal will be consigned to the Europa League.

But Wenger hasn't given up yet.

"We want to get in there, let's give ourselves every chance," he said. "If you have only a one percent chance you still have to give everything.

"I think we have a good chance. If we win we know the most we will be behind is one point, so let's see what happens."

At the conclusion of a season that only served to underline how far Arsenal has declined in recent years, Wenger knows missing out on the top four would be the last straw for a large section of his club's disenchanted fans.

There were thousands of empty seats at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, indicative of the malcontent as the prospect of Thursday-night treks to unglamorous destinations in the Europa League looms ever closer.

Wenger has yet to confirm if he will remain in charge next season. However, despite his team's predicament, the Frenchman took a swipe at the critics who have in the past ridiculed his pride at leading Arsenal into the Champions League for the past 19 years, when trophies have been few and far between.

"I answered for 20 years the question that being in the top four is not a big deal," he said.

"I'm surprised all of a sudden it becomes a big deal. We can talk and talk, at the end let's make 75 points. It would be one of our best in the last 10 years.

"We won more games than last year and we have one point more already."

Asked if he and the players were affected by the large number of stay-away fans, Wenger said he wasn't surprised by the low attendance.

"No, it's Tuesday night against Sunderland, everyone expects us to win," he said.

"I didn't count the number of empty seats. We do our job, we have shown that again."

If Arsenal misses out on the Champions League, Wenger has already pinpointed a series of damaging away defeats as the main cause.

"We shouldn't have lost at West Brom and (Crystal) Palace, that is where we lost our chance," he said. "At Man City as well we were really unlucky."

Sanchez sacrifice

Arsenal is only within striking distance of the top four thanks to Sanchez, who played through the pain of a thigh injury, emphasizing how much it needs him to sign a new contract.

"I didn't decide to play him until four in the afternoon today," Wenger said.

"Once he is on the pitch and has the ball he becomes a devil and forgets his pain.

"He has become a top-class player here. He has not wasted his time. Hopefully he will be here a long time."

Meanwhile, Black Cats boss David Moyes bristled at Wenger's suggestion Arsenal's top-four rivals benefited from playing teams with their minds on their holidays.

"That's an insult to footballers. I'd hate anyone questioning whether we would chuck a game," Moyes said.

"I don't think Sunderland did that tonight. We had a go."

Agence France - Presse

City has to be more homey

Pep Guardiola said Manchester City's home form must improve next season if it is to challenge for honors.

Guardiola's first season in English soccer will end at Watford on Sunday with the Catalan failing to win silverware for the first time in his stellar managerial career.

But Tuesday's 3-1 victory over West Brom should be enough to guarantee a top-four finish - and a place in next season's Champions League - while a win at Watford will assure City of advancing directly to the group stage without having to negotiate a two-legged qualifier.

"I will not say fourth position is done, but Arsenal has to win by five or six against Everton and my good friend (manager) Ronald Koeman," City boss Guardiola said.

"We are there and we are going to travel to London to try to finish third and go direct to the Champions League. I'm happy it's in our hands to finish third.

"This club had not played in Europe for 30 years. Now we are there every year, but we have to try to be better next season."

However, City will need to improve its form at Etihad, where despite ending the season with three straight victories, it has collected just 11 wins from 19 games.

"Our home season was not good," said Guardiola. "We finished the last three games with good performances, but it was not good.

"That was the reason we didn't fight (for the title) until the end of the season, but this was a perfect night, especially for Pablo."

Guardiola was referring to 32-year-old Argentine defender Pablo Zabaleta, who played his last home game for the club prior to leaving as a free agent.

Agence France - Presse

Arsenal's Olivier Giroud acrobatically sets up teammate Alexis Sanchez for the Gunners' second goal in their 2-0 English Premier League victory over Sunderland at Emirates Stadium in London on Tuesday. The triumph kept Arsenal's faint top-four hopes alive. Matt Dunham / Ap