Arsenal’s FA Cup exit and continual struggles in the Premier League could leave everything riding on the Europa League.

Arsenal have won the FA Cup three times in the last four seasons, but their luck ran out on Sunday against Nottingham Forest. It’s one more trophy the Gunners won’t be winning this season. Nor will there be any late season heroics to send the fans into the summer happy.

The trophy had become important due to the team’s struggles in the Premier League. This season, we’re 23 points off the top of the table and five points off the Champions League places.

Such a gap to the top-four isn’t insurmountable with 16 games to go, but with so much competition around, and Arsenal proving to be inconsistent, it’s going to be difficult. That leaves the Carabao Cup and the Europa League as our best chances of success this season.

Should Arsenal reach the final of the Carabao Cup, it’ll be a fun day out. If we defeat Chelsea and then win the final, fans will enjoy regardless of the competition’s stature. The problem is that it’s in March.

There’s too much time afterwards for fans to be disappointed by the club and forget about whatever success it achieves. The Europa League isn’t highly coveted, but winning a European honour would be a great way to end the season.

It’d be a rare European trophy and a route into the Champions League should we not finish in the top four, so Wenger should really consider it. The season isn’t quite over yet, but the Europa League is growing in importance.