“We had a few objectives today. The Champions League spot and runners-up spot and finishing in front of our people in the right manner and we’ve managed to do that,” Mikel Arteta told reporters after an emotional address to fans on the pitch.
Newcastle remain in third place with 66 points but only one point separates them from seventh-placed Nottingham Forest as the battle for the other three Champions League spots will go down to the wire next Sunday.
They will qualify for the Champions League if they beat Everton at home next Sunday.
“It’s going to go to the end and who knows what twists and turns there will be, we need one big effort in the last game,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said. “We need to be calm.”
Arsenal’s season promised so much but a League Cup semifinal defeat by Newcastle, a flimsy attempt to chase Liverpool in the title race and a Champions League semifinal exit against Paris St Germain meant their campaign fizzled out.
They went into Sunday’s game knowing victory would guarantee them a top-five finish and a Champions League spot.
Yet on the flipside one win in their past six league games had raised the unthinkable spectre of finishing sixth in what for most of the season looked like a two-horse title race.
The absence of Newcastle’s prolific striker Alexander Isak because of a groin injury was a boost for Arsenal but they looked edgy, understandably considering they had not scored a goal in three games against Eddie Howe’s side this season.
Newcastle were all over them in the opening stages and only Raya prevented the visitors taking the lead.
First the Spaniard denied Guimaraes and then Livramento should have done much better but shot too close to Raya.
Arsenal invited Newcastle pressure and Barnes was allowed to run through unchallenged before his low shot was turned around the upright by the unsighted Raya.
The pick of his first-half saves though was a reflex effort to palm away a towering header by Burn.
Arsenal’s attack lacked fluency and Nick Pope was not seriously tested in the opening period but the tension around the Emirates was lifted 10 minutes after the break.
Martin Odegaard played the ball towards the midfielder and he swept a sublime first-time shot past Pope.
It was Arsenal’s 52nd shot against Newcastle this season and the first one that found the net.
Newcastle threatened less after the break but former Arsenal player Joe Willock did wriggle through but smashed an angled shot over the bar.
_Reuters_