Arsenal secured Champions League qualification thanks to a 1-0 win over Newcastle on Sunday with an emotional 2-0 victory over Southampton.

Declan Rice scored the only goal at the Emirates in the battle between second and third to guarantee the consolation of a top-five finish for Mikel Arteta’s men at the end of another trophyless season.

Rice continued his goalscoring form with a stunning strike from outside the box on 55 minutes.

Defeat means Newcastle still have work to do to join Arsenal in the Champions League next season.

Just one point separates the League Cup winners in third from Nottingham Forest in seventh.

Victory over Everton next weekend should be enough for the Magpies due to their much superior goal difference over fifth-placed Aston Villa.

Forest maintained their push for a first appearance in Europe’s top competition for 45 years after winning 2-1 at West Ham.

Morgan Gibbs-White and Nikola Milenkovic struck for the visitors at the London Stadium as Forest showed support for striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who needed urgent abdominal surgery this week.

Forest must beat Chelsea on the final day of the campaign and hope other results go their way to finish in the top five.

“If we’d thought in the beginning of the season that we’d be playing to play in the Champions League we’d sign (for) it,” said Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

© Agence France-Presse

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