Arsenal can secure Champions League return with win over Tottenham

Arsenal players celebrate against Leeds.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Arsenal will return to the Champions League if they can beat Tottenham in the north London derby on Thursday night.

The Gunners consolidated fourth place in the Premier League thanks to an ultimately nervy 2-1 win over Leeds at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

That saw Mikel Arteta's side move four points ahead of fifth-placed Spurs, with Antonio Conte's men having drawn 1-1 at Anfield on Saturday, and to within just one of Chelsea in third.

Arsenal have not played in the Champions League since the 2016-17 season, the last of seven successive campaigns ending in last-16 exits in Europe's premier club competition.

Since then, the Gunners have played in the Europa League on four occasions but did not qualify for European football at all as they finished eighth in a disappointing 2020-21 season.

Spurs have home advantage on Thursday, but Arsenal will still be a point ahead of their local rivals if they lose at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the derby.

The Gunners are away to Newcastle and at home to Everton in their final two Premier League games.

Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.