Rice score beauty to all-but seal second for Gunners and dent Toon's Champions League hopes.
Match Report
Arsenal clinched their place in next season's Champions League and ended a five-match winless run in all competitions by edging past Newcastle United 1-0 on Sunday.
The Gunners' poor form had allowed third-placed Newcastle to reel them in ahead of this encounter at Emirates Stadium, but Declan Rice's sublime second-half goal moved Mikel Arteta's men five points clear of their opponents and six ahead of Manchester City in sixth.
That strike was only enough for Arsenal to claim victory after a sequence of superb early David Raya saves had kept the game goalless amid a bright Newcastle start.
However, the visitors, without Alexander Isak due to injury, could not respond to Rice's 55th-minute drive despite a period of late pressure.
Joe Willock passed up perhaps their best chance, while the final stages were played out inside the Arsenal box, where an ailing home side managed to hold firm.
Newcastle's strong goal difference should ensure victory at home to Everton on the final day will still secure a top-five finish, while the pressure is now off Arsenal ahead of a trip to already-relegated Southampton.
Data debrief: Raya heroics keep Newcastle at bay
Only against Manchester City in September has Raya made more saves in a Premier League game this season than his five in this match, and all of those came before the 20-minute mark with the game goalless.
Indeed, Newcastle had 10 shots before half-time – the most by a visiting team in the first half of a league game at the Emirates since April 2022 – as Raya was kept on his toes in front of a tense home crowd.
But where the Magpies were profligate without Isak, failing to net from chances worth 1.6 expected goals, Rice was ruthless, rattling in a brilliant effort that ensured he and Raya would be the matchwinners.
Line-ups
Arsenal XI: Trossard, Partey, David Raya, Ødegaard, Rice, Ben White, Martinelli, Saliba, Saka, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly
Subs: Neto, Sterling, Jorginho, Zinchenko, Tierney, Havertz, Calafiori, Jack Henry-Francis, Nwaneri
Newcastle XI: Callum Wilson, Schar, Burn, Pope, J.Murphy, Guimaraes, Barnes, Tonali, Gordon, Tino Livramento, Sven Botman
Subs: Ruddy, Dubravka, Krafth, Lascelles, Sean Longstaff, Willock, William Osula, Lewis Miley, Sean Neave
Kingshattah
78
whether they call us 'Next Season fc,we don't care,our motives shall come to pass 💪 it's just a matter of time
dougiefresh
64
CONGRATULATIONS 🎊 The Arsenal-Mikel Arteta treble is complete. 🥈 2023 🥈 2024 🥈 202
PrinceMichu
36
still can't believe Crystal Palace had a better season than arsenal 😳
dacblnorsu
17
The win is not for Chelsea, Newcastle is still ahead of Chelsea, Chelsea's destiny is in their hands, they have to win at Nottingham, or a draw with Aston Villa lose or draw with Man U. this game doesn't affect anything for Chelsea, but congratulations to Arsenal as they have qualified for next year champions League
woaceipt
15
Thank you Arsenal. This means a lot to Chelsea
Wakkufazire
14
This is how Arsenal watching other teams struggling for top 4
coycnpsu
7
u can say all u want about arsenal. but we love them till eternity. Arsenal played for a while without a striker and still got to the semi final of the champions league. Manchester United chelsea and Tottenham played in the Europa and conference league. U can't compare that to playing in the champions league. Arsenal has finished 2nd 3 times in row. The trophy is closer than ever. Arsenal may have finished second but they are far better than a lot of top teams in the Premier league.