Arsenal victory in vain as top-four hopes end

REUTERS - ARSENAL 3 EVERTON 1

Ten-man Arsenal beat Everton 3-1 on Sunday to complete their Premier League campaign with a fifth successive win but there was no last-day reprieve for their top-four hopes.

First-half goals by Hector Bellerin and Alexis Sanchez and a stoppage-time effort by Aaron Ramsey sealed the win but Liverpool and Manchester City also won to leave Arsenal fifth, their lowest finish since Arsene Wenger arrived in 1996.

Arsenal will be missing from the Champions League for the first time in 20 years next season.

Bellerin put Arsenal ahead after eight minutes and although they lost Laurent Koscielny to a red card shortly afterwards Sanchez doubled their lead before halftime.

As news filtered through that Liverpool, whom Arsenal could have caught with a win if they had failed to beat Middlesbrough, were winning comfortably the early optimism evaporated.

Romelu Lukaku halved the deficit but Arsenal hung on and Ramsey struck again with seconds remaining.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Clare Fallon)