Arsenal relief as Declan Rice secures narrow win over Newcastle

Arsenal snapped a season-long jinx against Newcastle United with a nervy 1-0 win in their last Premier League home game on Sunday all but securing runners-up spot and a place in next season's Champions League.

Three defeats against Eddie Howe's side during the campaign could easily have become four had the visitors converted a flurry of early chances, but Declan Rice calmed the nerves.

Rice punished Newcastle for their first-half profligacy when he connected sweetly with Martin Odegaard's pass to rifle a curling effort past Nick Pope in the 55th minute.

Arsenal, winless in their last three league games, were indebted to goalkeeper David Raya in the first half as he made saves from Bruno Guimaraes, Valentino Livramento, Harvey Barnes and Dan Burn as the visitors dominated.Whatever was said at halftime appeared to wake them from their lethargy though and with an away game to finish at bottom club Southampton next weekend a third successive second-placed finish looks guaranteed, albeit this time a distant one.

Arsenal have 71 points from 37 games and only sixth-placed Manchester City, who have two games remaining, can match that.

Newcastle remain in third place with 66 points but only one point separates them from seventh-placed Nottingham Forest as the battle for the other three Champions League spots will go down to the wire next Sunday.

Arsenal's season promised so much but a League Cup semi-final defeat by Newcastle, a flimsy attempt to chase Liverpool in the title race and a Champions League semi-final exit against Paris St Germain meant their campaign fizzled out.

They went into Sunday's game knowing victory would guarantee them a top-five finish and Champions League spot.

Yet on the flip-side one win in their last six league games had raised the unthinkable spectre of finishing sixth in what for most of the season looked like a two-horse title race.

The absence of Newcastle's prolific striker Alexander Isak because of a groin injury was a boost for Arsenal but they looked edgy, understandably considering they had not scored a goal in three games against Eddie Howe's side this season.

Newcastle were all over them in the opening stages and only Raya prevented the visitors taking the lead.

First the Spaniard denied Guimaraes and then Livramento should have done much better but shot too close to Raya.

Arsenal invited Newcastle pressure and Barnes was allowed to run through unchallenged before his low shot was turned around the upright by the unsighted Raya.

The pick of his first-half saves though was a reflex effort to palm away a towering header by Burn.

Arsenal's attack lacked fluency and Nick Pope was not seriously tested in the opening period but the tension around the Emirates was lifted 10 minutes after the break.

Martin Odegaard played the ball towards the midfielder and he swept a sublime first-time shot past Pope.

It was Arsenal's 52nd shot against Newcastle this season and the first one that found the net.

Newcastle were less threatening after the break but former Arsenal player Joe Willock did wriggle through but smashed an angled shot over the bar.