Robust, clinical and resilient: Arsenal's win over Chelsea reignites Europa League hopes

When Arsenal fans look at the Premier League table, they are likely to feel two things. The first is disappointment and then a little bit of ease.

They’ll feel disappointed because they will end the season without any piece of silverware after flattering to deceive for much of the campaign.

The Arsenal faithful will also feel a bit at ease because for all their poor results, their team is currently just a point behind north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The Gunners have endured an underwhelming season thus far but their performance against Chelsea on Wednesday was a complete departure from the usually fragile team they are known to be.

Three points: in the bag 🙌 #CHEARS 🔵 0-1 🔴 (FT) pic.twitter.com/J3rtvDRnfd

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 12, 2021

A resilient performance from the Gunners

Make no mistake, Arsenal did not play too well once again. They created very little against Thomas Tuchel’s side and were largely on the back foot.

However, they showed tremendous character and fighting spirit to leave Stamford Bridge with all three points.

Having taken the lead through fortuitous circumstances after a howler from Jorginho allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to set up Emile Smith-Rowe to tap the ball into an empty net, the Gunners decided to sit back.

This allowed Chelsea to seize the initiative, although the Blues themselves couldn’t take make use of the numerous chances they created. That, though, was down to Arsenal’s character.

The Gunners were robust, resilient and clinical when they had to be, and deservedly emerged victorious.

Arsenal have now won each of their last three away games in the Premier League without conceding. ✅ 3-0 vs. Sheffield United ✅ 2-0 vs. Newcastle ✅ 1-0 vs. Chelsea They are now unbeaten in their last six away games in the league. pic.twitter.com/eFAfYqfQOD

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) May 12, 2021

Chelsea win ignites Arsenal’s European hopes

Arsenal’s season has been over for some time now. Mikel Arteta’s side is not in contention for any trophy and Champions League qualification is also beyond them.

However, they still have slim chances of qualifying for the Europa League or the recently-created Europa Conference League, which is now Europe’s third-tier inter-club competition.

By beating Chelsea, Arsenal have reignited their hopes of qualifying for Europe, as they are now just three points behind fifth-placed West Ham United.

"Nothing is broken. Inside, nothing is broken. They [the media] try to put things on me that I never said,” Arteta told Sky Sports in his post-match conference.

"You can see the spirit of the team from the first minute. It doesn't matter whether we're playing seventh, eighth, ninth. You can never doubt their efforts and how much they are trying."

Arsenal have badly let their fans down this season but they’ve also often shown flashes of a team that can improve.

Should they manage to maintain their performance against Chelsea, then qualifying for the Europa League could just be within their reach.