Arsenal’s dwindling chances of winning the league were dealt a fatal blow, after losing 0-3 to Brighton, leaving league leaders Manchester City just one victory away from winning the league for the fifth time in six years.
The Gunners needed to reply after City’s 3-0 win against Everton earlier in the day left Mikel Arteta’s side behind in the title race by four points.
Leandro Trossard struck the crossbar against his previous team, while Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka also went close before Julio Enciso’s close-range header put Brighton ahead.
Substitute Deniz Undav doubled the advantage in the 86th minute after lobbing Aaron Ramsdale, before Pervis Estupinan added a third for Brighton in the 96th minute.
Even if Arsenal defeats Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Saturday (17:30), City will win the Premier League title in front of their own fans next Sunday (16:00 BST) if they win Chelsea.
City, on the other hand, will be crowned champions even before their Sunday game, if Arsenal loses against Forest.
Arsenal lost Brazil striker Gabriel Martinelli to injury in the first half after a foul by Brighton’s Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo, who the Gunners attempted to buy in January.
Brighton, who are vying for a place in Europe for the first time, had gone close through Enciso before the Paraguayan striker rocked the Emirates in the 51st minute.
The victory moved Brighton above both Aston Villa and Tottenham into sixth place on 58 points, four points behind fifth-placed Liverpool with one game in hand.
Arsenal can score a maximum of 87 points, whereas City has 85 points with games against Chelsea (home), Brighton (away), and Brentford (away) remaining. Manchester City can, therefore, seal the Premier League title by defeating Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium next Sunday. Indeed, if Arsenal loses to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Saturday evening, it could be finished before then.
For the first time, Brighton appears to be heading to Europe. What an accomplishment that would be only a decade after leaving Withdean.
“We showed a good reaction,” Deniz Undav tells Sky Sports, with a slight understatement, following last week’s 5-1 defeat. “Mentality was key,” says goalie Jason Steele. Undav says that Roberto De Zerbi showed his squad a video of Michael Jordan last night as an incentive.
