LLeague leaders Arsenal won 1-0 away at Brighton & Hove Albion on Round 29, marking their third consecutive Premier League win and extending their lead over Manchester City, who drew 2-2 at home to Nottingham Forest, to seven points.
City have a game in hand and the two teams still have to face each other on April 19, but a slip-up at the Etihad could weigh heavily in the final stages of the Championship.
Erling Haaland falls in love with British croissants
Arsenal strike first and hang on
At Brighton, the Gunners took the lead early on. Nine minutes later, Bukayo Saka, who was captain in the absence of Martin Odegaard due to injury, fired a powerful shot from the edge of the area.
The ball deflected slightly off Cameroon’s Carlos Baleva, but it was enough for Dutch goalkeeper Bad Verbruggen to hit the ball off the back foot.
That goal was enough. Arsenal used their expertise to overcome a narrow lead and took three points to move up to 67 points and hope to win the league for the first time since 2004. Additionally, the London side came into this match on the back of derby wins over Tottenham and Chelsea.
City Drop Key Points
At the same time, Manchester City missed a golden opportunity. Guardiola’s side got off to a strong start and took the lead in the 31st minute with Antoine Semenyo’s goal assisted by France’s Rayan Cherki.
But Forest responded. Morgan Gibbs-White equalized in the 56th minute with a shot past Ruben Dias, surprising goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Spaniard Rodri restored the lead to the Sky Blues in the 62nd minute with a corner kick. But the controversy and mental blow came in the 76th minute, when Elliott Anderson scored the winning goal to make it 2-2.
90+9 moves that will define the season
With time running out, City went on the attack, looking for a win that would keep Arsenal within range. In the 90th minute, a shot from inside the area looked like it would hit the net, but Brazilian defender Murillo made a save on the line to deny the home team victory.
The big controversy came in the last play of the match when Erling Haaland appeared to be sprinting inside the opposition area and goalkeeper Selz brought him down without trying to win the ball. However, the central referee not only did not award a penalty, but also did not review the play with VAR.
That intervention could have a decisive impact on the title fight. The draw leaves City on 60 points, seven clear of the leaders with a game in hand.
The battle for the Premier League title is in its final stages, with the head-to-head showdown on April 19th expected to be the real final. But if Arsenal pull themselves together, that stoppage-time play could be remembered as the moment that cost City the title.
