For the past 20 years, it has been a given: Arsenal qualify for the Champions League.
But this year it has been different. And it could cost one Irish punter a massive £215,000.
Last May, a man from Cork placed a €200 10-fold accumulator bet, including the Gunners to finish in the top four this season.
So far, the other nine-legs of his wager have been successful.
They are:
- 4/9 Clare to beat Limerick in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
- 6/5 Tipperary to win the Munster Senior Hurling Championship
- 9/5 France to reach the final of Euro 2016
- 4/7 Argentina to win Copa America Group D
- 11/10 Dublin to win the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
- 1/2 Cork to win League of Ireland Premier Division betting without Dundalk
- 6/5 Drogheda to win League of Ireland Division 1 betting without Limerick
- 6/5 England to win the Six Nations
- 5/2 Newcastle to win the Championship
But the punter’s chances of landing a mega windfall are now in limbo.
With two games left to play Arsenal are fifth in the Premier League, three points behind fourth-placed Manchester City.
Arsene Wenger’s men must beat Sunderland tonight to keep their top-four dream alive.
However, if rivals City beat West Brom at home this evening Arsenal’s hopes will rest solely on third-place Liverpool slipping up at home to already-relegated Middlesbrough on the final day of the season - with Arsenal also needing to beat Everton at the Emirates on Sunday.
Bookmaker Paddy Power said: “This Irish punter has had a hell of a run with his predictions but all eyes will be across the Irish Sea tonight as Arsenal take on Sunderland.
“If the Gunners fail to round off his extraordinary accumulator we imagine there’ll be a few “Wenger Out” signs popping up!”
If Arsenal do clinch fourth place, the punter will certainly benefit from the ‘luck of the Irish’.