LONDON // Arsenal may have clinched third place and automatic qualification for the Champions League with this comprehensive victory over Fulham, but the reasons why they have fallen away in the title race were still plain to see.
An Arsenal side missing a number of first-choice players due to injury? Check.
A hesitant, unconfident goalkeeper inducing panic every time the ball went near him? Of course.
An astonishing profligacy in front of goal? It goes without saying.
Granted, early strikes from Andrey Arshavin and Robin van Persie, with Chris Baird scoring an own goal before half-time and Carlos Vela adding a late fourth, were always going to be enough against a weakened Fulham side that understandably had one eye on Wednesday's Europa League final against Atletico Madrid.
But this season will go down as a case of what might have been. However, third place was never in doubt from the moment when Arshavin robbed Mark Schwarzer of the ball to slide home after 21 minutes, with Van Persie knocking in the rebound six minutes later, after the Australian keeper had tipped his initial effort onto the cross bar.
Indeed, Van Persie's ankle injury back in November appears ever more decisive now that the Dutchman is back and scoring goals. Van Persie, Arshavin, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri have missed 55 Premier League games between them this season, which is far too many for a club who do not have the strength in depth of their rivals.
That was shown in devastating fashion by Arsenal's results against the other top sides. Home and away losses to both Chelsea and Manchester United, combined with away defeats to both Tottenham and Manchester City, proved decisive in the end.
And Van Persie was brutally honest about his side's shortcomings in an interview in the club's match day programme.
"I just think we need to toughen up," said the Dutchman. "We need to make it clear to people: 'if you want to play football, we can play football. If you want to play hard, we can play hard.' We can do that, we have it in ourselves, but we need to do it consistently.
"We need a bit of help in a few areas. Everyone knows where we are going wrong."
Wenger, though, launched a passionate defence of his side.
"If you look a long way back we have gone beyond expectation," he said. "Of course we are still frustrated because a month ago we were still in touch with the championship and didn't win it.
"We conceded too many goals and didn't have the players available, but I'm very happy that we don't have to play a qualifier [to reach the Champions League group stage] because it is a sensitive game and they are getting harder every year."
And Wenger is spot on with the criticism of his side's defence, with the hosts' goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski flapping at three crosses here, just as Manuel Almunia has done all season. The Pole was actually fortunate to still be on the pitch by the end, having been booked for deliberate handball outside the area. His time at Arsenal must surely be at an end.
His opposite number had already had his nightmare moment by then, though, with Van Persie making it two before Baird turned Theo Walcott's deflected cross into his own net and Vela chipping home delightfully to make it four.
It was a disappointing way for Fulham to end their domestic campaign - "we just didn't have enough in our locker to beat a good Arsenal team," admitted their manager Roy Hodgson - but they have still had a superb season, and will look to end it with their first major trophy on Wednesday.
For Arsenal, though, they know that a wonderful opportunity has been missed due to failings that are all too familiar.
sports@thenational.ae
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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The five pillars of Islam
The%20specs
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The specs: 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV
Price, base: Dh138,000 (estimate)
Engine: 60kWh battery
Transmission: Single-speed Electronic Precision Shift
Power: 204hp
Torque: 360Nm
Range: 520km (claimed)
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Remaining fixtures
- August 29 – UAE v Saudi Arabia, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
- September 5 – Iraq v UAE, Amman, Jordan (venue TBC)
The UAE's journey to space
SPEC%20SHEET
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Company%20Profile
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Company%20profile
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Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh234,000 - Dh329,000
On sale: now
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million