That’s all for now. Thanks as always for following along with us and be sure to check out our full match report.
- Sánchez brace sinks Sunderland to keep Arsenal’s top-four hopes alive
- Gunners need Liverpool to drop points to earn Champions League spot
Updated
Tue 16 May 2017 16.45 EDT
First published on Tue 16 May 2017 14.05 EDT
Live feed
Key events
Arsenal have taken care of business today, but their shot for a Champions League spot remain out of their hands. Their chances are wholly dependent on whether Liverpool drop points against Middlesbrough on the weekend. Stranger things have happened.
Full-time: Arsenal 2-0 Sunderland
And there’s the final whistle and Arsenal’s flickering top-four hopes remain intact after an Alexis Sánchez second-half brace saves the day for the home side!
90 min: The fourth official signals for three minutes of stoppage time.
88 min: One final switch as Darron Gibson comes on for Didier Ndong. Just playing out the string here, really, as Arsenal are minutes from their fourth straight win.
86 min: Corner for Arsenal. Mustafi’s header caroms off the woodwork. Scramble in the box! Surely this will be a third! But somehow Sunderland manage to clear.
85 min: Arsenal make their final switch as Walcott enters for Giroud.
82 min: Another substitution for Sunderland as Adnan Januzaj enters for Javier Manquillo.
GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Sunderland (Sanchez, 81 min)
Sanchez again from close range, possibly offside, but no matter. Pickford initially turns away a lob from Giroud, but it lands in perfect position for the Chilean striker to drive home his 23rd league goal of the season.
79 min: Pickford absolutely standing on his head in goal, making one highlight-reel save after another as his defenders stand idly by taking in the scene. Arsenal’s detractors from within and without are surely going to offer their criticisms if they only escape this match with a 1-0 result, but truthfully this could be 5-nil if not for Pickford.
77 min: Sunderland makes their first sub as Lynden Gooch replaces Lee Cattermole, much to the delight of our good man Woolie, we trust.
74 min: Cattermole is shown a yellow card for a foul on Sanchez.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Sunderland (Sanchez, 72 min)
And there it is! Ozil takes a long pass near the touchline, slides it into the six-yard box and Sanchez slots it home. Clinical finish and surely a relief for the 90,000 fans at the Emirates tonight.
72 min: Another superb save from Jordan Pickford, who fully extends to deflect a Danny Welbeck shot from inside that area that surely would have found the back of the goal.
70 min: Arsenal’s 12th corner of the match is as fruitless as the first 11. And as Sunderland have appeared less concerned with opening up in attack over the last 10 minutes or so, you begin to wonder if Arsenal will find a way to break through today.
68 min: And it is. Danny Welbeck enters for Ramsey. And a second change for the Gunners as Alex Iwobi replaces Kieran Gibbs.
67 min: And now Ramsey is down. He’s walking off on his own strength albeit gingerly. Arsenal appear ready to made a change. Will it be Ramsay who comes off?
65 min: Giroud with a header off a long-range deliver from 40 yards that beats Pickford, but sails wide left of the post.
60 min: A series of corners for Arsenal now as they seem to have rediscovered their attacking verve but still nothing to show for it. Nearly everyone behind the ball for Sunderland now.
58 min: Arsenal nearly score against the run of play when Giroud finds Mustafi, but the German’s shot from inside the area is deflected.
56 min: Bookings flying now: a yellow for Ozil followed by a yellow for O’Shea. Promising attempt for Aaron Ramsey, but it’s turned away by Pickford, who’s been excellent tonight.
53 min: Arsenal on the back foot a bit here, forced to defend after conceding a free kick from a dangerous area. Monreal is shown the yellow card for the foul. It’s whipped into the center but cleared at the last moment.
49 min: Update: It’s lobbed up and cleared by Xhaka.
48 min: We’ve reached a new low. Monreal tries a backpass to Cech and nearly scores an own goal. Fortunately, he misses the target and ... Arsenal have conceded an indirect free kick six yards from the goal. Gripping theater, this.
Only Arsenal would concede an indirect free kick from 6 yards away pic.twitter.com/YZeFqKu4Di
— Matt (@HoldingFC) May 16, 2017
46 min: And we’re off and running in the second half. We’re told the official attendance for tonight’s match is 59,510. Er, OK.
Official attendance at the Emirates tonight: 59,510. (Photo by @catherineivill) pic.twitter.com/SZxuP2hqqg
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) May 16, 2017
Half-time: Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland
And there’s the whistle. Here’s a look at the stats so far.
Arsenal v Sunderland
57.6% Possession 42.4%
5 Shots On Target 2
18 Shots 2
381 Touches 300
278 Passes 212
4 Tackles 10
9 Clearances 11
8 Corners 1
1 Offsides 2
45 min+1: Ramsey’s shot from the center of the area is turned away by Pickford. How close! It’s out for a corner and now Arsenal nearly score again. But the Sunderland defense stand tall and we’re headed to half-time knotted at nil-nil.
45 min: One minute of stoppage time.
43 min: A through ball from Bellerin to Sanchez and the Chilean tries for the near post. Just missed the mark and it’s out for a goal kick.
39 min: Arsenal win a free kick from a decent position on a foul by Lee Cattermole. Mustafi is targeted in the right side of the area but his header sails harmlessly high and wide of the goal.
37 min: A smart run by DeFoe as he runs on to a through ball and manages to uncork a tightly angled shot that forces a difficult save by Cech. But it’s a save indeed and moments later Arsenal are down the pitch, forcing Pickford to intervene. Still scoreless as half-time draws near.
35 min: End-to-end action over the past few minutes with both sides eager to attack. Sunderland win their first corner with Ndong’s shot turned away by Cech.
32 min: Another corner for Arsenal. It veers toward Sanchez in the middle of the area but Pickford beats him to it. Moments later, a poor giveaway by Ndong as Sunderland look to attack. Arsenal have a quick look at a counter but Pickford disrupts Ozil’s attempt.
Is this game being played behind closed doors? Doors that will be closed similarly behind Wegner as he departs in a couple of weeks?
22 min: Arsenal’s Héctor Bellerín is shown yellow for a hand ball.
21 min: Arsenal on the attack and Ramsey’s cross is put out for a corner. It’s initially cleared on a punch by Pickford, but Arsenal keep the pressure on and win another corner. Nothing comes of that one either. Still, a solid work rate for the hosts as the end of the opening quarter draws near, even if they don’t have a goal to show for it.
19 min: Another shot from Xhaka from outside the area but this one is off target, skidding wide right of the goal.
17 min: Good spell of possession for Arsenal ends with a left-footed shot from Xhaka at the top of the era, but he can’t get much behind it and it’s easily corralled by the Sunderland keeper.
16 min: Arsenal win a corner but it’s short, defended well by Borini, and Sunderland are on the move once more.
15 min: Another chance for Arsenal, who have started to ramp up the pressure over the last five minutes. This time Pickford is forced to sprint off his line and disrupt a Ramsey-led attack at the top of the area.
13 min: The rain is now coming down on a 20C (68F) night in North London.
10 min: Borini with a half-chance for Sunderland but it’s saved by Cech. Quick counter by Arsenal and they have a pair of chance in short order, both turned away by Pickford. Corner to the hosts, but nothing comes of it.
8 min: Alexis Sánchez from distance and it’s a goal! Or is it? It’s immediately waved off amid the celebrations of the Arsenal players by referee Roger East, who rules that it struck the hand of Olivier Giroud en route to the back of the goal.
6 min: Sunderland doing a good job keeping possession in the middle third but they’ve yet to offer a substantial threat. And they’ve just been dispossessed.
3 min: A bit of a speculative effort from Alexis Sánchez, who was under duress, and it sails harmlessly over the woodwork. Sánchez was doubtful for today’s match after suffering a kick to the thigh at Stoke on Saturday but he looks right as rain at the moment.
2 min: Sunderland with an early foray into the final third, but Lamine Koné’s through ball catches Jermain Defoe well offside.
1 min: And they’re off! Arsenal attacking from left to right in traditional home kits, Sunderland from right to left in all-white strips.
The players have emerged from the tunnel. A reminder: Arsenal will be eliminated from top-four contention with a loss and a Manchester City win or draw in today’s other match.
As we wait for the teams to take the pitch ... we pause for a Goochwatch from reader Woolie Madden:
Goochwatch: A place on the bench, and possibly the last chance to see Lynden ‘The Lynchpin’ Gooch shift about in his padded bucket chair. I read the Rumour Mill every day, but so far no mention of a Barcelona bid. I’d rate Lynden’s season 8/10 -- not many appearances, it’s true; but each minute away from the pitch is a minute’s less association with Sunderland’s ‘achievements’ on it. Godspeed, my American beauty!
Hello and welcome to today’s Premier League matchup between Arsenal and Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium. Incredibly, the in-form Gunners are still in the mix for a Champions League place after Saturday’s 4-1 win over Stoke City, their third straight triumph. They’re fifth in the table, three points behind Manchester City and four adrift of third-place Liverpool, who have played one game more.
History would certainly favor Arsène Wenger’s side today. Sunderland haven’t won at Arsenal since November 1983 – when Culture Club’s Karma Chameleon was atop the UK charts and only one of Arsenal’s current players (Petr Čech) was even alive. Indeed, Sunderland have only won one in 26 against the Gunners, which augurs well for a side desperate to extend their top-four hopes at least another few days.
We’re about 15 minutes from kick-off with plenty more to come.
The teams
Here’s a look at today’s teams.
Arsenal
XI: Cech, Holding, Mustafi, Monreal, Bellerín, Ramsey, Xhaka, Gibbs, Özil, Sánchez, Giroud
Subs: Gabriel, Ospina, Walcott, Iwobi, Welbeck, Coquelin, Elneny
Sunderland
XI: Pickford, Jones, Koné, O’Shea, Manquillo, Larsson, Cattermole, Ndong, Borini, Defoe, Oviedo
Subs: Mannone, Rodwell, Lescott, Love, Gibson, Januzaj, Gooch
Referee: Roger East (Wiltshire)
Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s a look at Arsène Wenger’s comments on what he sees as a problematic trend of Premier League clubs laying off the clutch after securing their fates.
Arsène Wenger has questioned the integrity of some Premier League teams who have secured their top-flight status for next season as he faces the prospect of failing to guide Arsenal to the Champions League for the first time since 1997.
Arsenal have two games remaining, at home against Sunderland on Tuesday and Everton on Sunday, and even victories in those may not earn a top-four spot after Liverpool thrashed West Ham United 4-0 on Sunday. Two wins would give Wenger’s side 75 points – nine more than Manchester City managed last season in securing the final Champions League spot.
If Liverpool defeat the relegated Middlesbrough on Sunday and City take four points from matches at home to West Bromwich Albion and away to Watford, it will be impossible for Arsenal to finish in the top four. Wenger appeared to suggest his side’s chances had been diminished by the number of clubs who have nothing to play for other than pride.