Arsenal v Newcastle: Aaron Ramsey determined to finish strongly after a season of what ifs

The Gunners' midfielder missed a large chunk of the season through injury

Midfielder Aaron Ramsey admits there will always be a sense of what might have been this season, but is determined to help secure a positive ending for Arsenal.

The Wales international returned from three months out with a thigh injury to score in the Barclays Premier League win at Hull last weekend which capped an all-action display.

Ramsey had been in sublime form over the first half of the campaign, where his 13 goals helped set the Gunners up for what looked a sustained assault on the championship.

However, following the loss of Ramsey, then England duo Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere as well as club-record signing Mesut Ozil all to injury, Arsenal saw their challenge fade badly.

While the 23-year-old cannot help reflect on how different the campaign might have turned out, Ramsey remains focused on delivering a fitting finale.

"Those thoughts (of what might have happened if we all had stayed fit) have gone through my mind, but disappointing things happen," Ramsey said on Sky Sports Weekend Warm-Up.

"I am obviously absolutely gutted with what went on after Christmas with my injury, but that is football and you have to bounce back from that.

"We have had some bad injuries in the second half of the season, but that is something we have to overcome and hopefully we will be thereabouts in the Premier League again next season."

Arsenal will be out to cement their place in the top four ahead of Everton when they host out-of-form Newcastle on Monday night.

Ramsey insists the Gunners are all focused on delivering another shot at Champions League football before they return to Wembley for the FA Cup final against Hull.

"We are hungrier than ever together," said Ramsey.

"To get into the Champions League again is where we want to be, where every player wants to test themselves.

"We want to finish the job off now and get back in there again next season."

Following on from their nerve-shredding penalty shoot-out win over Wigan in the FA Cup semi-finals, Arsenal have recorded back-to-back league victories to edge ahead of Everton by a point.

With clashes against relegation-battlers West Brom and then Norwich ahead, defender Bacary Sagna is confident Arsene Wenger's side can deliver again.

"I hope the best is to come," the France full-back said on Arsenal Player.

"It was good to stick together because we were playing quite badly recently and had been dropping many points.

"It was time to wake up and that is what we have done in recent games, when we have been fighting a bit more.

"We had to show a reaction because we had been beaten many times, that was not Arsenal, now we are fighting back.

"We have to win every single game to qualify for the Champions League and (lift) the FA Cup, but it will not be easy."

PA