Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's Double Lifts Arsenal to 3-1 EPL Win over Burnley

Arsenal came into Sunday with an impossible task in their quest to finish in the top four. Not only did they have to beat Burnley, but they needed Tottenham to lose, and they needed to erase Spurs' major advantage in goal differential.  

Arsenal handled their part of the deal, beating Burnley 3-1 on Sunday behind a brace from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and a late strike from Eddie Nketiah.  But it was a moot point, as Tottenham drew with Everton 2-2 leaving Arsenal in fifth place and a point behind their bitter rivals. 

Ashley Barnes scored the lone goal for Burnley. 

One bright spot on the afternoon for Arsenal was that Aubameyang's two goals left him tied with Liverpool's Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah atop the Golden Boot race with 22 tallies. But if Arsenal fail to qualify for Champions League football for a third straight season—only a victory in the Europa League final against Chelsea will get them in—it will be little consolation.

Unai Emery's Debut Season Will Be a Failure Without a Europa League Title

Regardless of Arsenal's result Sunday, it would have always taken a miracle to surpass Tottenham on goal differential to finish fourth. And once it became clear that the Gunners weren't a title contender this season, returning to the Champions League became the club's primary goal.

That's why Arsene Wenger's tenure as manager ultimately ended—the Gunners were no longer good enough under his watch to consistently qualify for Europe. Unai Emery's task, then, was to end Arsenal's two-year drought.

Despite Sunday's win, Arsenal couldn't catch Tottenham on the table, meaning the only chance Arsenal has remaining to reach Champions League football—and come away with any silverware, period—is to win the Europa League final against Chelsea, which would give Arsenal an automatic berth in the UCL next season.

It would be one thing if clubs ahead of Arsenal like Chelsea and Tottenham had run away with top-four placements. But Arsenal had every chance to secure a top-four place this season.

The Gunners, who finished two points behind Chelsea for third and one point behind Spurs for fourth, managed just seven points from their final seven matches. They lost to Leicester City, Wolves, Crystal Palace and Everton, clubs they should beat. They drew with Brighton, a club that barely survived relegation.

It was a choke job, plain and simple, and one that cost Arsenal an automatic berth in the Champions League. Even with some of Arsenal's roster deficiencies—the club's back line was a constant source of concern—Emery has to take much of the blame for the late-season woes. His lineup shuffling often didn't work. His in-game adjustments didn't provide a spark. 

And in the process, the Gunners were left with all of their eggs in the Europa League basket, where the mercurial but dangerous Chelsea await. 

This isn't to suggest Emery should be fired, or even on the hot seat, if Arsenal fail to win the Europa League. Arsenal were seven points better in the league than last year, which is a solid improvement. The Gunners were better than a year ago, even if it didn't always feel that way. 

But ultimately, a club of Arsenal's size, with the resources it possesses, should be qualifying for UCL football. A failure to do so is a failure, period, for every member of the club. 

Including its first-year manager.

What's Next?

Arsenal will take on Chelsea in the Europa League final on May 29.