Premier League: Man City on brink of title as Brighton & Hove Albion thump Arsenal
Manchester City are one win away from the Premier League title thanks to Brighton & Hove Albion’s merited 3-0 win over a lacklustre Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
A couple of hours on from the champions’ 3-0 win at Everton, Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan put Mikel Arteta’s meek men to the sword in North London by the same scoreline, as Roberto De Zerbi’s men virtually extinguished their hosts’ hopes of top-flight glory.
There was no love lost between the two clubs inside the opening 10 minutes, as Gabriel Martinelli clattered into Kaoru Mitoma – striking the Japanese attacker in the face with his elbow – before Moises Caicedo retaliated for his teammate by scything down the Arsenal man from behind.
Surprisingly, neither challenge warranted further punishment from Andy Madley, and the early quarrels appeared to benefit Brighton more than Arsenal, as Enciso tried to pick out the top corner under pressure in the 12th minute, and Aaron Ramsdale had to be alert to tip the Paraguayan’s effort over at his near post.
Just four minutes later, Martin Odegaard tried to replicate his sublime strike from last weekend’s win over Newcastle United, but the Norwegian’s long-range shot trickled just past the post; Jason Steele had it covered anyway.
During this time, Martinelli was still moving gingerly after that Caicedo challenge, and the Brazilian’s race was run after just 20 minutes as Leandro Trossard came on against his former employers.
The Belgian very nearly haunted his old club in the 31st minute – clipping the crossbar following a quick break – before Enciso fired over the top with the goal gaping six minutes later, having just leant back from Mitoma’s ball across.
De Zerbi’s men enjoyed the strange sensation of dominating possession at the Emirates, but Arsenal began to turn the screw in a five-minute added time period, and Bukayo Saka fizzed a low shot just wide of the post before an ill-tempered opening 45 was brought to an end.
The Gunners started the second half brightly too, but one long ball over the top to Mitoma caused chaos for Arsenal, as Brighton broke the deadlock in freakish circumstances in the 51st minute.
Mitoma held off Ben White on the right and picked out Estupinan on the overlap, who got a second bite at the cherry after a poor first cross and Enciso was left unmarked to head home from inside the six-yard box.
Jakub Kiwior, who was marking Enciso, had bizarrely gone down just before the Paraguayan nodded in the opener, but replays showed that Evan Ferguson had trodden on the centre-back’s ankle – the goal was allowed to stand, though.
Brighton’s confidence was through the roof, which is more than could be said for a perturbed Arsenal, although substitute Reiss Nelson came close to restoring parity for the hosts in the 62nd minute, flashing a powerful strike just beyond the far post.
The underwhelming Gunners were otherwise quelled by De Zerbi’s men with ease, and Brighton – who were a cut above tactically – all but killed Arsenal’s title chances in the 86th minute.
Offering a helping hand to his former club, Trossard’s tried to flick the ball round Alexis Mac Allister inside his own half, but the ball deflected off the Argentine and fell for Undav in acres of space, and the German calmly lobbed the ball over Ramsdale and into the back of the net.
Eight minutes of added time handed Arsenal the smallest glimmer of hope, given their penchant for late goals this season, but Estupinan put the result beyond any doubt, picking out the side netting after Ramsdale parried Undav’s strike into his path.
Sitting on 81 points with two matches remaining, Arsenal are four points adrift of Man City, who have a game in hand and will be crowned champions if they overcome Chelsea next weekend.
Meanwhile, Brighton – who produced a perfect reaction to last weekend’s 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Everton – have leapfrogged Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa into sixth place as the race for European football goes down to the wire.
The Gunners take to the road for the final time in the current season next Saturday against Nottingham Forest, while the Seagulls travel to Newcastle United on Thursday evening.
