What Arsenal need to secure Premier League top-five finish and when they can do it after win over Ipswich

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Arsenal comfortably beat Ipswich Town on Saturday afternoon at Portman Road.

Leandro Trossard scored twice for the Gunners, while strikes from Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri pushed the Tractor Boys to the brink of relegation.

The result sees the Gunners move seven points clear of Newcastle United in third, and nine clear of sixth-place Nottingham Forest with five games remaining.

Mikel Arteta will be eager to secure a top-five finish as early as possible, to allow his squad to focus on going all the way in the Champions League.

• READ MORE: What Martin Odegaard said immediately to Leandro Trossard after Ipswich opener, it’s a good mentality

What do Arsenal need to finish in the top-five of the Premier League?

The top five teams in the Premier League will all qualify for next season’s Champions League ‘League Phase’, due to the success of the English sides in this season’s various European competitions.

As it stands, Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle, Manchester City and Chelsea will all take part in Europe’s elite tournament in the 2025/26 campaign.

After Arsenal dropped points against Brentford last weekend, there was some concern amongst the Gunners fanbase that their position in the top-five might be under threat, particularly as Mikel Arteta continued to rotate his team in the league to protect his key players for the Champions League.

However, after beating Ipswich on Sunday, these concerns have been eased.

Arsenal need just seven points from their remaining five matches to guarantee themselves a place in the Premier League’s top five.

Two wins and a draw should be achievable from a set of fixtures that includes games against Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Southampton.

In reality, however, the teams directly below the Gunners will likely drop points, and thus, one more win will probably do it.

How many points do Arsenal need to finish second?

Whilst ensuring they finish in the Champions League places will be Arteta’s primary concern, finishing second will also be on the agenda.

The North Londoners have finished second in each of the last two seasons, and dropping below this position would feel like they’ve regressed, regardless of their Champions League exploits.

The maximum number of points any of the chasing pack can accrue 75, a tally Nottingham Forest can reach if the East Midlanders win all six of their remaining matches.

The Gunners need ten points to reach 76, meaning three wins and a draw will ensure Arteta’s team finish runners-up to imminent title winners Liverpool.

If Forest slip up against Tottenham on Monday night, then three wins from five will do it.