Arsenal's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are hanging by the smallest of threads, but there's still a chance - albeit unlikely - that they will snatch fourth spot from under the noses of Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the 2021/22 Premier League season.
Following a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Newcastle United on Monday night, the scenario is simple for Mikel Arteta 's side when they welcome Everton to the Emirates Stadium this weekend; The Gunners must win and hope Spurs lose to an already relegated Norwich City side at Carrow Road.
This is because a draw is effectively all Antonio Conte's side need in Norfolk due to their superior goal difference which would come into effect if the north London rivals were to finish level on points. But in truth, this scenario is highly unlikely to happen as Arsenal would require a 16-goal swing in their favour against the Toffees.
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Therefore, they'll be hoping for a favour from Dean Smith and company. Perhaps to provide the Gunners with some hope heading into Sunday's fixtures, the Norwich boss and striker Teemu Pukki are keen to secure a victory that may be enough to lift them off bottom spot in the Premier League table and could also help Arsenal qualify for the Champions League in the process.
If the Canaries were to finish 19th instead of 20th it would also earn them over £2million more in prize money. But as things stand, they sit bottom and a point behind Watford. So in order to pocket that aforementioned windfall, they must beat Spurs and hope the Hornets lose away at Chelsea.
Speaking ahead of Norwich's final game of the campaign, Smith has warned Spurs about Pukki's intentions after netting his 11th league goal of the season against Wolves: "Pukki’s runs are brilliant. He gets chances because of his intelligence," Smith said, as per Norfolk Live. "He also travels with the ball really well and he puts defenders off balance. I think that’s 11 Premier League goals now this season and he will be eager to get more next week against Tottenham. He’s a fantastic forward for us."
Meanwhile, Pukki has outlined why the Canaries want to potentially ruin the party for the Lilywhites: "That is our aim for the last game (to finish 19th). We want to win at home because it has been a while and we want to show a good performance on Sunday and get something out of the game," he said.
Even if Norwich pull off a surprise by beating Tottenham, it will count for nothing if the Gunners don't take care of business on their end against an Everton side that won at the Emirates Stadium last season and have tasted success in each of the last three meetings between the two sides.
Furthermore, there is a problem that won't fill Arsenal fans with too much confidence about a Norwich win. In home games against teams in the top half of the table, the Canaries haven't claimed a victory in any. The best they can boast is holding Wolves and Brighton to goalless draws. Of course, there's always a first time for everything and for those connected to the Gunners, the hope is Sunday is that day.
