Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes suffered what will surely be a fatal blow on Sunday, with Brighton’s sensational 3-0 victory at the Emirates.
The outcome of the tension-soaked encounter may see Manchester City crowned champions next week, Sky Sports predicts.
City – who secured a comfortable win at Everton earlier in the day – will clinch a fifth title in six seasons if Arsenal lose to Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Any other result in that fixture will give City the chance to seal the trophy in front of their own fans against Chelsea next Sunday.
After City’s victory at Goodison Park it was effectively all or nothing for the Gunners against Brighton but they were unable to rise to the occasion against a Brighton side that responded emphatically to their humiliation at the hands of Everton earlier this week.
In a feisty encounter that simmered throughout, Julio Enciso struck the first blow when he nodded in Pervis Estupinan’s cross from just yards out after Jakub Kiwior went down when Evan Ferguson trod on his boot, which came off.
Kiwior’s decision to go down split the Sky Sports pundits. “A big strong centre-half, really?” said an unimpressed Roy Keane, while Micah Richards insisted it was a foul by Ferguson.
The Seagulls then toyed with their hosts, who saw Mikel Arteta booked for dissent as they grew increasingly frustrated, and delivered the knockout punch when Deniz Undav punished former Brighton forward Leandro Trossard’s loose pass by lobbing Aaron Ramsdale.
Estupinan then added a third when he followed up Ramsdale’s weak save by prodding home the rebound and sparking wild celebrations on the south coast – and in Manchester.
But Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta has said his side are still ‘mathematically’ in the race for the Premier League title, stressing that ‘this is football’.
The Gunners had topped the table for much of the season as they tried to end a 19-year wait to win the title.
But under relentless pressure from City, who have won 11 consecutive league games, the wheels have come off for Arsenal in recent months.
Arteta’s men have now won just two of their last seven games.
“We have to apologise because the performance we had in the second-half is not acceptable,” Arteta told Sky Sports.
“Mathematically (winning the league) it’s still possible and this is football but today it is impossible to be thinking about it. We have to first digest the result, the performance that we had in the second half, and understand why and have a very different reaction in the next game.”
City will win the title for the fifth time in six seasons, and for a third year in a row, if Arsenal lose at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Even if Arteta’s men respond at Forest, the title will still go to City if the leaders win at home to Chelsea on May 21 or take three points in their other two matches at Brighton and Brentford.
