It's been seven long years since Arsenal made the Champions League and this season has been nothing short of being bittersweet.
Mikel Arteta's young team have shown serious promise after spending 248 days at the summit, looking down at the other 19 teams in the Premier League table, playing the best football of any Arsenal team since the golden years of the Invincibles.
But what goes up ultimately must come down, and that rings true for the Gunners after it all came crashing down following a humiliating 3-0 loss at home to Brighton & Hove Albion that left Manchester City open to snatch the title.
The final nail in the coffin for Arteta and his men was the disappointing 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in the penultimate game, which ultimately sealed Arsenal's fate.
But the Gunners at least finished the season on a high with five unanswered goals against Wolverhampton Wanderers on the final day.
It's been a season filled with optimism for Arsenal, in what could only be described as an overachieving year, compared to the fifth-placed finish in the Premier League last season and a low of eighth in 2020.
This season, Arsenal have proved they are capable of challenging for the title. However, performances have consistently kept everyone on the edges of their seats, punching well above their weight for much of the campaign. But as the months went by, so did the disappointment.
It started off like the previous season, with a London derby at home. Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 2-0 – their first of a five-game winning streak that secured their spot at the top of the table.
Then came a humbling loss against Manchester United. But that didn't stop them in their tracks as the team rose with resilience to go on to enjoy an eight-game winning run in all tournaments that allowed them to come up on top in their Europa League group.
But the team has been plagued with avoidable losses, injury and fitness issues this season, with William Saliba forced off with a back injury during the first half of the Europa League second leg defeat by Sporting. It brought a premature end to an outstanding season for the French defender.
Then came Arsenal's right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu, who left the Emirates Stadium on crutches in the same game, also ruling him out until the summer.
It's a bitter pill to swallow, but Arteta can only hope that his men heal from the devastating loss of missing out on a first tile since 2004.
The Champions League will push Arsenal to their limits next season, but the real task lies with Arteta to make smart decisions come the summer to get them back at the top of the table.
