**Arsenal might be out of the title race, but there is still plenty to play for.**
With eight Premier League games left and 12 points behind league leaders Liverpool, Arsenal fans could be forgiven for thinking there isn't anything to play for.
And to a certain extent, you are right. With the league title essentially out of reach, barring a catastrophic collapse from Liverpool, the Gunners are now also-rans in the league.
Considering where the club was just a couple of months ago, that can be a bitter pill to swallow.
However, not all is lost. Yes, the league is gone, but top four (yes, we know it isn't a trophy, but it's still important) is still a main objective for the club to achieve.
But we also have another thread to pull and it's one that if all the stars align, the season could end with an almighty bang - the Champions League.
### Arsenal can still finish season with a bang
The quarter-final clash against Real Madrid is looming as the biggest game in Mikel Arteta's tenure at the club, with a chance to truly announce themselves on the European stage.
Yes, it looms as a herculean task to slay the Spanish giants, but with the recent return of Bukayo Saka in Arsenal's 2-1 win over Fulham, the Gunners are perhaps in better shape to tackle Madrid. Although defender Gabriel suffered a hamstring injury to take a lot of the shine off a great night in north London.
But make no mistake, there's still plenty of life left in this season.
“Until the season's over, we need to have full belief as a group, as a team, as a fan base that we can still achieve great things,” Rice said via [arsenal.com](https://www.arsenal.com/news/declan-and-myles-belief-what-we-can-achieve). “We also have an amazing chance to create history in terms of being the first Arsenal team to lift the Champions League. We can go down in history books at this club and we have been presented with a lovely chance against Real Madrid, one of the best teams in the world. So, yes, exciting times.”
So while there is credence to the thought that the season is over, the Champions League, while a tough competition for Arsenal, gives the club a glimmer of hope that something can still be achieved this season.
Losing the Premier League is tough, but balance that out with a Champions League win?
While outlandish, that's what's in front of Arsenal.
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