Arsene Wenger will be given a hero's farewell at Emirates Stadium on Sunday when Arsenal plays Burnley, though the genuine affection rightly afforded him will be matched by a sense of relief that the greatest manager in the club's history is leaving after 22 years.
The Frenchman's last appearance as Arsenal manager at the stadium comes in the wake of another European exit that has become all too familiar in recent years. So near yet so far, a season that promised more than it delivered — the Groundhog Day scenario post-2004 Invincibles.
"I want to finish this love story well, with Arsenal back in the Champions League," Wenger said before the Europa League semifinal second leg against Atletico Madrid. Arsenal has the worst away form in the top-six tiers of English football when it comes to league matches, and this was replicated in Wanda Metropolitano Stadium as the home team won 1-0 to give it an aggregate 2-1 victory.