Arsenal moved closer to ending their Premier League drought, edging Burnley 1-0 on Monday to seize a five-point advantage at the top and keep the title firmly within reach.
Key takeaways
- Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Burnley opened up a five-point lead in the Premier League standings.
- Manchester City could still be kept in the race depending on results involving Bournemouth and Aston Villa.
- Even if City defeat Aston Villa, Arsenal can clinch the championship by winning at Crystal Palace on Sunday.
- The only goal came from a set piece, with Kai Havertz scoring after rising to meet Bukayo Saka’s corner delivery.
- Havertz escaped a red card after a VAR check following a late challenge on Lesley Ugochukwu.
What Arsenal’s title picture looks like
Arsenal are able to be crowned champions today if City fail to win at Bournemouth. The equation remains tight: even if City put an end to Bournemouth’s 16-match unbeaten run and then beat Aston Villa, Arsenal would still secure the league with victory at Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Still, the slender nature of Arsenal’s 1-0 success against a Burnley team long since relegated has given City a reason to believe. A draw for Arsenal at Selhurst Park would allow City to claim the trophy on goal difference, provided Pep Guardiola’s side win their last two fixtures.
Adding another layer to the season’s end, reports on Sunday suggested Guardiola is set to step away from his role after a decorated decade in charge, with Aston Villa visiting the Etihad on Sunday.
Nervy night at the Emirates as set pieces decide it
Arsenal were backed by a full and expectant home crowd for what was their final match at the Emirates this campaign, and many expected them to dismiss Burnley comfortably. However, Burnley, who had collected only two points from their previous 10 outings, made Arteta’s team work for the three points in a tense contest.
Early chances underlined Arsenal’s pressure. Leandro Trossard struck the post from the edge of the area, and Bukayo Saka’s involvement soon turned into frustration when an attempted turn as he tried to redirect a low cross from Havertz led to a penalty appeal being dismissed.
As the match continued, Arsenal again leaned on set-piece quality to break the deadlock. Havertz rose highest to meet Saka’s delivery on 37 minutes, and it marked a significant milestone: Arsenal scored from corners for the 18th time in the league this season.
Despite taking the lead, Arsenal did not control the closing stages with ease and were fortunate not to have to defend the advantage with 10 men for the final stretch. Havertz was booked after a mistimed challenge that raked his studs down the calf of Lesley Ugochukwu.
Even though the incident was reviewed using VAR, the original yellow card was not upgraded to a red. Havertz was then replaced quickly by Viktor Gyokeres, but the Swedish forward’s introduction did not immediately add the spark Arsenal needed to push the game further away.
Defence does the job as title momentum builds
What ultimately mattered most was Arsenal’s defensive solidity. Since losing to City last month, they have not conceded in their last four league matches, a trend that has brought them ever closer to lifting the Premier League trophy.
