Sunday 21 May 2017 19:32, UK
Arsenal missed out on the Champions League for the first time under Arsene Wenger.
Read our review of the club's 2016/17 Premier League season with expert analysis.
Finishing position: 5th (-3)
Total points: 75 (+4)
Champions League: Round of 16
FA Cup: Final
EFL Cup: Fifth round
Top scorer: Alexis Sanchez (24)
Season review
Arsene Wenger finished outside the top four in the Premier League for the first time as Arsenal manager - a period dating back to his 1996/97 debut season in charge. With speculation raging about his future, it made for a particularly tumultuous campaign as opinion remained divided over his future as manager.
Strangely, Arsenal started the season well and even beat eventual champions Chelsea comfortably in September. In fact, the Gunners were well placed in second spot after 22 games in late January but a miserable run of results around the time of their Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich changed the mood.
The contract renewals of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez became major issues and while a switch to three at the back helped spark an upturn in form with Arsenal winning their final five Premier League games, it was not enough to clamber back into the Champions League places this time. With Wenger's plans still not public, much will hinge on the FA Cup final against Chelsea.
EXPERT ANALYSIS - CHARLIE NICHOLAS
Managerial review
Well it's been poor. By Arsene Wenger's standards, it has been his poorest season. I know he could still win the FA Cup, but to start the season and batter Chelsea the way they did, it was a time for the team to push on and challenge for the title but that obviously failed to materialise. He had to go against his principles and switch to a back three when the team were struggling but even that change took too long.
By Arsene Wenger's standards, it has been his poorest season.
Player of the year: Alexis Sanchez
He's upset me with the way he has behaved over the last six weeks but it would still have to be Alexis Sanchez for scoring over 20 goals. Despite losing my respect for him somewhat, he's been comfortably Arsenal's best player.
2017/18 prospects
Well it will be the same as at the start of the season, targeting the title, but a lot has to change to achieve that. With such a big squad he'll play a lot of the fringe players in the Europa League, so that should be a benefit over the Premier League sides in the Champions League. I'd expect at least four players to leave, which will pay for Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil's new deals, then we need to go out and put serious bids in for a striker, a central-defender and a left-back.
