Arsenal's Top-4 Hopes in Peril After 1-1 Draw vs. Brighton & Hove Albion

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Arsenal’s bid to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League is all but over after the Gunners slipped to a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang opened the scoring from the penalty spot after referee Anthony Taylor judged Alireza Jahanbakhsh had tripped Nacho Monreal in the box.

However, Glenn Murray equalised from the spot just after the hour mark following a Granit Xhaka foul on Solly March.

The stalemate means Arsenal are three points adrift of north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the final day. Spurs owning a plus-eight goal difference means it will take a minor miracle for the Gunners to finish above them.

Arsenal need a big win away to Burnley and for Tottenham to lose at home to Everton. Winning the UEFA Europa League, where the Gunners hold a 3-1 aggregate lead over Valencia in the semi-final, represents a more realistic route back to Europe’s top table.

Barcelona Player-Swap for Lacazette Would Be a Terrible Deal for Arsenal

Arsenal could get a marquee centre-back and a replacement for Aaron Ramsey by selling Alexandre Lacazette to Barcelona, according to the latest rumours.

Mundo Deportivo (h/t Metro) have reported Barca would be willing to offer Samuel Umtiti and Andre Gomes to facilitate a deal for Lacazette, whom the Blaugrana view as a viable alternative to Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann.

Barcelona loanee Gomes could reportedly be offered as a makeweight for Lacazette.Jan Kruger/Getty Images

On the surface, such a deal would represent a win-win for the Gunners. Head coach Unai Emery desperately needs a more athletic and aggressive centre-back to fix a leaky defence. Umtiti fits the bill, having previously been linked with a move to north London.

Meanwhile, Gomes, on loan at Everton, has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Ramsey, per ESPN (h/t MailOnline’s Joe Strange).

Ramsey is bound for Serie A giants Juventus on a free transfer this summer, and the home fans showed respect for the three-time FA Cup winner as he watched on thanks to a hamstring injury that denied him the chance to play in his last home game for Arsenal.

Two-for-one deals usually represent value, but Lacazette is more important than either player Barca might offer. The 27-year-old was recently named Arsenal’s Player of the Season, a fitting accolade for what has been a superb individual campaign.

Fellow striker Aubameyang has scored more goals, but Lacazette has been the true talisman for Emery. His relentless running has led the high press the Spaniard wants from the Gunners.

Lacazette’s willingness to play with his back to goal and hold the ball up is something Aubameyang doesn’t possess. It gives Arsenal a focal point to aim for up top.

Aside from his work rate, the former Lyon star has scored his share of spectacular goals and delivered in the moments and games that have mattered most this season:

His performances have highlighted Arsenal’s reliance on their star strikers:

Moving Lacazette on would increase the burden on Aubameyang, particularly with Danny Welbeck out of contract this summer and 19-year-old Eddie Nketiah still untested.

Getting help at other positions for selling Lacazette wouldn’t remove the need to replace him, nor the difficulty in finding another striker of his quality.

What’s Next?

Arsenal are in Valencia for the second leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-final on Thursday before facing Burnley at Turf Moor on Sunday, May 12. Spurs host Everton on the same day.

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