Arsenal's Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang holds the winner's trophy as the team celebrates victory after the English FA Cup final football match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in London, on August 1, 2020. - Arsenal won the match 2-1. (Photo by Catherine Ivill / POOL / AFP)

Arsenal FA Cup win condemns Spurs to UEL qualifiers

Aug 2, 2020

Arsenal won the FA Cup for the fourteenth time on Saturday and Jose Mourinho’s Spurs will be particularly unhappy about the result.

arsenal v chelsea fa cup final 7 — LONDON, ENGLAND: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal poses with Mikel Arteta on August 01, 2020. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Most fans will already be aware that winning the FA Cup was about more than just the trophy. The final was also the Gunners’ final chance at making it into Europe. But more than that, it was a way for Arsenal to screw over Jose Mourinho and Spurs.

As Mourinho so joyously celebrated on the final day of the Premier League season, his team finished in sixth place, which gave them an automatic spot in the Europa League group stages. However, by winning the cup over Chelsea, Arsenal took this spot away.

Now, Spurs will have to win three one-off qualifiers just to make the group stages. They’ll start the qualifiers on September 17th, just five days after the Premier League opener. Arsenal won’t have to play their first game until October 22nd.

The list of teams Spurs could draw at this stage is really quite something.

A selection of teams Spurs could draw in the Europa League 2QR. #COYS

Kesla FK
Torshavn
Neftchi Baku
Kaysar Kyzylorda
Ordabasy Shymkent
Sutjeska Niksic
FK Riteriai
FH Hafnarfjardar
Santa Coloma
Shakhtior Saligorsk
Kalju Nomme
Backa Topola
Vojvodina Novi Sad
OFI Heraklion

— Dale Johnson (@DaleJohnsonESPN) August 1, 2020

Usually, the qualifiers are over two legs. Thanks to the pandemic and the new schedule, that’s not possible, so each tie will be a one-off game drawn randomly at home or away.

Maybe they’ll get lucky, or maybe they’ll travel off to Baku and Tallinn in the middle of the early stages of the league season. It’s not our problem, we’ll enjoy our trophy win and see them in the group stages – if they can make it.

fbl eng facup arsenal chelsea 7 — Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta holds the FA Cup trophy on August 1, 2020. (Photo by CATHERINE IVILL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)