Arsenal scent the title after laboured win over relegated Burnley
Arsenal have put themselves one step away from a historic moment with a narrow 1-0 victory over already-relegated Burnley: a single win at Crystal Palace on the final day of the Premier League season would seal their first title since 2004. Manchester City now trail the Londoners by five points.
One win away from a first title in twenty years
It was not a football evening to write home about, but ultimately Arsenal will care little about the manner of it. A 1-0 win over long-since relegated Burnley strengthened the London club's position at the top of the Premier League and left pursuers Manchester City five points adrift. The picture is clear: whoever wins at Crystal Palace on Sunday can call themselves English champions for the first time since 2004.
Bournemouth as a potential turning point
The title is not yet mathematically secured, however. Manchester City travel to Bournemouth on Tuesday evening. Should the home side win or draw, the decision will be postponed until the final day of the season. Arsenal then face a trip to Crystal Palace, while City simultaneously host Aston Villa.
Kai Havertz decides with a header from a corner
At the Emirates Stadium, the first half was largely one-way traffic. Arsenal controlled proceedings, though Burnley showed through Hannibal Mejbri in a rare foray forward that the threat was not entirely absent. The hosts, meanwhile, created several genuine opportunities. Leandro Trossard wriggled free smartly after a quarter of an hour and struck the post with a fierce low shot. Bukayo Saka saw a cross float over goalkeeper Max Weiss but drift just wide of goal. In the 37th minute it was Saka whose corner kick provided the decisive moment: Kai Havertz rose above the Burnley defence and headed home emphatically for 1-0. On the stroke of half-time Saka curled the ball narrowly wide, leaving the hosts with only a one-goal advantage at the break.
Tense finale despite VAR reprieve
After the interval, the relegated Burnley seized their chance to make life more difficult for Arsenal. The visitors gained a stronger grip on the match and the hosts' dominance gradually faded. A potentially crucial moment arrived when Havertz caught the calf of Lesley Ugochukwu with his studs, just over twenty minutes from time. Referee Paul Tierney consulted the VAR but elected to keep the red card in his pocket, to the great relief of the home crowd. There was little in the way of attractive football after that, but plenty of tension in the stands. Arsenal ground their way to the final whistle and ultimately kept the three points safe — precious enough to travel to Selhurst Park on Sunday with dreams of the title very much alive.
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Source: Via NOS (GNews)
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