Arsenal's hopes of a top-four Premier League finish were all-but extinguished as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Brighton.

With Tottenham losing on Saturday and Manchester United held at Huddersfield earlier in the day, a win for Unai Emery's side would have taken them to within a point of Spurs in fourth.

Instead they head into the the final day three points adrift and with an inferior goal difference to their north London rivals after Brighton toasted their survival with a deserved point.

Standard Sport's James Olley was at the Emirates to assess the key talking points...

Arsenal need a miracle, otherwise its Europa League or bust

The damage was done away from home long before today in truth but a frustrating 1-1 draw against Brighton leaves Arsenal requiring a hugely improbable final-day turnaround to make the Premier League top four.

The Gunners must hope north London rivals Tottenham lose at home to Everton while they beat Burnley at Turf Moor with an eight-goal swing in their favour to qualify for the Champions League.

More realistically, Thursday’s uefa Europa League semi-final, second leg against Valencia is Arsenal’s shot at redemption. They hold a 3-1 advantage from the first game and must show far better nerve and game-management to reach the Final in Baku.

Aubameyang hits 20 for the season…

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s ninth-minute penalty took him to 20 goals for the season – a milestone six Arsenal players have reached in the Premier League era.

No club has had more (Manchester United and Liverpool also have six).

Alexandre Lacazette may have won the club’s Player of the Season award but Aubameyang, who is now two behind Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah in the League’s Golden Boot race, plays an equally vital role in an attacking partnership which has helped keep the Gunners’ campaign alive during several difficult moments.

That said, a bad Aubameyang miss 16 minutes from time is a reminder no striker can always save the day.

…But defensive issues remain

Glenn Murray’s 61st-minute spot-kick was the 50th League goal Arsenal have conceded this season.

Errors abounded – Henrikh Mkhitaryan gave the ball away to begin with before Granit Xhaka clumsily knocked Solly March off balance as he burst into the box – in what has become a consistent theme of Arsenal’s campaign.

If they do miss out on the top four as looks virtually certain, it will be primarily because of these defensive issues: the Gunners have now let in 50 goals in consecutive top-flight seasons for the first time since 1984.

It is therefore a problem which pre-dates Unai Emery but also one he would have expected to make more of an impact in tackling.

Arsenal’s unwanted diving record

Sokratis Papastathopoulos’ 14th-minute yellow card for diving was Arsenal’s sixth Premier League booking for simulation this season, two more than any other side.

It came just five minutes after Nacho Monreal exaggerated contact with Alireza Jahanbakhsh to earn the penalty which Aubameyang converted.

There are examples of the latter incident every week and therefore it would be wrong to hold Monreal’s conduct up as evidence of anything more sinister.

But the Gunners’ overall disciplinary record for diving this season is an unwelcome footnote to Emery’s maiden campaign and something he may look to address next term.