Premier League: Arsenal Seal Champions League Berth

Arsenal booked their place in the Champions League as Declan Rice's thunderbolt sealed a 1-0 win against top five rivals Newcastle on Sunday.

Rice's brilliant second half strike at the Emirates Stadium guaranteed Arsenal will compete in Europe's elite club competition next season.

Mikel Arteta's side ended a five-game winless streak to avoid a nervous last day of the season next weekend, with the battle for top five places no longer a concern for the Gunners.

Second-placed Arsenal are likely to finish as Premier League runners-up for a third successive season after failing to keep pace with champions Liverpool.

The north Londoners, who lost in the Champions League semifinals against Paris Saint-Germain, have now gone five years without a trophy.

Despite another season of frustration for Arsenal, they still look the most likely challengers for Liverpool's crown next term.

Third-placed Newcastle are above fourth-placed Chelsea and fifth-placed Aston Villa on goal difference.

Sixth-placed Manchester City would go above Eddie Howe's team if they avoid defeat in their game in hand at home to Bournemouth on Tuesday.

Nottingham Forest, in seventh place, are only one point behind League Cup winners Newcastle in a remarkably close race to reach the Champions League.

Newcastle will have to beat Everton at St James' Park in their last game of the season on May 25 to seal qualification.

Meanwhile, Everton gave Goodison Park a fitting farewell after Iliman Ndiaye scored twice to give the home side a 2-0 victory over already-relegated Southampton on Sunday as the "Grand Old Lady" hosted its final Premier League game after 133 years.

Everton's win in their penultimate match of the season -- but last game at Goodison before moving to a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock -- left David Moyes' side 13th on 45 points. Bottom-placed Southampton have 12 points from 37 games.

Nottingham Forest kept alive their hopes of Champions League football next season with a 2-1 Premier League win at West Ham United on Sunday as goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Nikola Milenkovic kept them in touch with the top five.

Forest are seventh in the table on 65 points from 37 games, one point off the three teams currently placed third to fifth in the Champions League spots and level with Manchester City. Their last game is at home to Chelsea, who are fourth, next Sunday.

Gibbs-White settled the visitors' nerves with an early goal after 11 minutes when he collected a stray pass from West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola to fire into an empty net.

Forest kept pressing for a second and were rewarded just past the hour mark as Anthony Elanga's free-kick ended up in the net off the back of Milenkovic, before Jarrod Bowen smashed in a late consolation for 15th-placed West Ham, who have 40 points.

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