One team's happiness is another's despair.
Such is life in the world of professional sports, and Arsenal's joy at claiming a 3-1 win over West Bromwich Albion on Sunday came in stark contrast to the pain of relegation felt by the Baggies in the same match.
The Gunners are in the midst of their least successful season in recent memory, and Thursday's ouster from the Europa League meant the team had little to play for but pride for the duration of the campaign. Arsenal were able to take out some of their frustrations on West Brom, who came into Sunday's match winless in three and on the verge of dropping to the Championship.
Despite their mutual misery, Arsenal were more than comfortable putting the final nail in the Baggies' coffin, with Emile Smith Rowe, Nicolas Pepe and Willian on target for the winning side.
"I feel it was important for us to get the win today," Smith Rowe told Sky Sports after the match. "Obviously coming from Thursday was actually difficult for us, but I feel like, yeah, it was a well-deserved three points for us today."
Smith Rowe's 29th-minute strike was his first in the Premier League. The 20-year-old has been one of Arsenal's rare bright spots this season, as he and fellow youngsters like Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah have looked to establish themselves as cornerstones of the inevitable rebuild ahead at the Emirates Stadium.
It was Saka's cross that Smith Rowe nimbly volleyed for the opener, with the youngsters immediately celebrating together before being joined by the rest of their teammates.
"I said to [Saka] before [the game] that he has to assist me because I've assisted him a few times this season as well, so it was good for us to get a goal together," Smith Rowe said. "We're really happy with that."
The joy of the victory, Arsenal's second straight in the league, helped ease the pain of the Europa League exit. With Arsenal now in ninth place and six points out of a Europa League spot, Smith Rowe says the team will have no choice but to try to win the remaining three games of the campaign while hoping for some fortuitous results elsewhere.
"Honestly, it's been really difficult for us as a team," Smith Rowe said of the past few weeks. "It's not nice to lose and be out in the semifinal of a tournament and stuff but now it's important that we keep our heads up and keep fighting to the end of the season, so that's what we're gonna do."
Check out the full highlights of Arsenal vs. West Brom above, or on DAZN Canada's YouTube channel.