Arsenal 1-0 West Brom: Olivier Giroud's early header enough to give Gunners three points against Pepe Mel's side

By Matt Barlow for the Daily Mail Follow @@Matt_Barlow_DM

Published: 09:20 EST, 4 May 2014 | Updated: 19:20 EST, 4 May 2014

Arsenal 1-0 West Brom: MATCH ZONE

Mesut Ozil put in an energetic performance for his team as his heat map shows  - CLICK HERE FOR MATCH ZONE

Arsene Wenger strolled around the Emirates Stadium in the late afternoon sunshine waving as fans sang about Wembley and Arsenal’s season ended with a flourish.

This meandering, arm-ache-inducing wave-athon which now draws the curtain after the final home game of each campaign is known as a lap of appreciation, just in case anyone takes issue with the fact there’s anything to honour.

With a top-four place secured by Everton’s defeat on Saturday, Olivier Giroud’s first-half header took Arsenal to 76 points, already more than last season with one to play, at Norwich on Sunday, before they turn to the FA Cup final.

West Bromwich Albion’s top-flight status was preserved yesterday, due to Norwich’s draw at Chelsea  rather than anything they achieved in north London.

Wenger left with a nagging feeling of what might have been without a run of nine points from nine games, starting in February, but this will go down as the club’s best campaign for nine years if they can beat Hull at Wembley.

VIDEO Scroll down for Wenger: We played well but were a bit subdued

Opener: Olivier Giroud gave Arsenal the lead with a header after 13 minutes

Set piece: Arsenal took an early lead after Giroud headed home a Santi Cazorla corner

Opener: Giroud (12) celebrates scoring his 22nd goal of the season as Arsenal fans cheers him on

Head this way: Giroud is congratulated by his Arsenal team-mates after putting the Gunners in the lead

Wenger: We played well but were a bit subdued

Win that and, when they return to the Emirates, the silhouette of that famous old trophy will be painted on the honours board which lines the arena, and the Champions League will return, as long as  Arsenal negotiate their seventh play-off in nine years.

Wenger, too, will be back in August. His new contract has yet to be signed but this, he promised, was not a wave of farewell. ‘Don’t worry,’ said the Arsenal boss. ‘Don’t be too impatient. My last time will come. You will be rid of me one day.

‘You will see me again. My word is my word. I am from an ancestral period where you didn’t need a pen to commit.’

It seems to be emphatic, even if it doesn’t explain the delay. He has never before waited until the  season is over to extend a contract and he insisted again last night that it is not connected to success in the FA Cup final.

‘It is not linked to that at all,’ said Wenger. ‘It was, of course, important to be in the Champions League, that is for sure. It’s not linked with my commitment. It is linked with the fact that I feel I  am useful.

‘I’ve had no moments of doubt. If I had moments of doubt they would have been a few years ago when I had to say “No” to many offers, and committed to this club under a lot of pressure.’

Fans sang for right back Bacary Sagna — also out of contract — to stay, though they did not sing for Wenger.

Still, there was no evidence of  anti-Wenger sentiment either, a far cry from the first home game when, after losing to Aston Villa, many supporters, frustrated at the time by a lack of signings, jeered their long-serving manager.

Cheeky: Theo Walcott came on to applaud the fans, while also appearing to mock Tottenham's result

Wenger: Don't see anything in Remy being here

Last laugh: Giroud scored the only goal of the game as Arsenal won their final home game of the season

Final fling: Podolski poses for the camera ahead of the Premier League match against West Brom

Threat: Sagna rarely stopped running along Arsenal right hand side

Gunning for a win: Arsenal players celebrate the first goal as Mathieu Flamini (right) applauds the home fans

He rode the storm. This is four wins on the spin, a healthy reaction to a defeat at Goodison Park when they surrendered the initiative to Everton in the race for fourth, only for it to be handed almost straight back.

Some will fear this flourish will mask the need for more drastic surgery but, against West Bromwich, Arsenal coasted to victory before a drowsy Bank Holiday crowd.

Giroud struck in the 14th minute, his 22nd goal of the season, beating Craig Dawson in the air at the  near post to convert a corner from Santi Cazorla, who also forced  Ben Foster into a strong save before the break.

Mesut Ozil failed to finish a  mesmerising dribble and Lukas Podolski rattled a post when he ought to have scored.

Mel: I thought we did enough to get a point today

Power: Lukas Podolski (right) holds off the challenge of Youssuf Mulumbu in the second half

Don't go: Bacary Sagna was serenaded by the Arsenal fans who sang, 'we want you to stay'

Out of the way: Giroud (left) tangles with Baggies defender Jonas Olsson

Option: Cazorla (right) passes forward as Sagna bombs forward in support of the Spaniard

‘We wanted to finish with a win,’ said Wenger. ‘It was a bit subdued, maybe because we knew we were  in the top four. Overall, when we look at the home season, we lost the first game and didn’t lose any more. I’m happy with the attitude and the behaviour and the consistency of my players.

‘I’m frustrated as well, because we were 120 days top of the league and when you look today it’s very tight.

YOU'LL NEVER WIN ANYTHING WITH KIDS, ARSENE

It was child’s play at the Emirates during the ‘lap of appreciation’ and Bacary Sagna’s son Elias, five, was taking no prisoners, brushing aside Mikel Arteta’s boy Gabriel, four, in a surge upfield that his  dad would have been proud of (below).

Jack Wilshere’s two-year-old son Archie also came to grief on the slick turf, so it was probably wise that Olivier Giroud kept hold of baby Jade.

‘The points we dropped here and there that we should not have dropped come through your mind. The regret is that at the most important period of the season we had too many players out.

‘To be brutal, I would say we missed a few goals compared to others and we missed out in some big away games by conceding too many, but we had 16 clean sheets.’

Tussle: Mikel Arteta (right) and James Morrison battle for the ball during the first 45 minutes

In the sticks: West Brom keeper Ben Foster shouts instructions to his defenders

Eye on the ball: Graham Dorrans (right) controls the ball under the watchful eye of Cazorla

In the way: Nacho Monreal (right) plays the ball as Dawson tries to block his path

DISTANCE COVERED STATS

                                           MINS PLD    KM     MILES 

ARSENAL - TOTAL                     108.2      67.3

Flamini                          90           12.9     8.0
Giroud                           90           10.5     6.6
Ozil                                90           10.1     6.3

WEST BROM - TOTAL                   107.8   67.0

Berahino                         90            11.1    6.9
Morrison                         90            11.1    6.9
Olsson                            90            10.2     6.3

• Data courtesy of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the Official Player Rating Index of the Barclays Premier League

West Bromwich rarely looked capable of beating Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who denied Morgan Amalfitano and had little else to do. A header from Dawson was deflected over in the final seconds. It was hard to avoid the feeling that, with 36 points in the bank, Pepe Mel’s team played like one who had written off  Norwich’s chances of survival.

As it turned out, they were right. They are safe, thanks to their goal difference.

As for Mel, he will meet chairman Jeremy Peace at the end of the  season to decide whether he will continue or if the club will exercise an option to release him.

‘West Brom have a lot of work to do,’ said Mel.

‘There are 13 players out of contract, so it will be like building a new team.

'After the Stoke game, we have a meeting and then we’ll decide whether or not I’ll be here next season.’

Arsenal 'till I'm skint! Arsenal fans protest outside Emirates

Main man: Ozil (left) puts a ball into the West Brom box early in the first half

Man in charge: Pepe Mel watches on during the first half at the Emirates

Spanish inquisition: West Brom fans dress up for their final away game of the season

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