LONDON, United Kingdom — Arsenal are on the verge of ending a 22-year wait to lift the Premier League trophy after a tense 1-0 victory over Burnley on Monday night opened up a five-point lead at the top of the table.
Kai Havertz headed home the only goal of the game at the Emirates Stadium, though the German forward was arguably fortunate to escape a second-half red card that could have derailed Mikel Arteta’s title charge.
The Gunners could be crowned champions as early as Tuesday night if their closest rivals, Manchester City fail to win away at Bournemouth.
A Nervy Night at the Emirates
Roared on by an expectant capacity crowd in their final home game of the season, Arsenal were widely tipped to comfortably sweep aside a Burnley team whose relegation has already been confirmed.
Instead, the visitors—who had taken just two points from their previous nine outings—made the league leaders sweat on a highly charged night in north London.
Leandro Trossard struck the woodwork from the edge of the penalty area early on, and Bukayo Saka had a penalty appeal turned down before Arsenal relied on their familiar set-piece prowess to break the deadlock on 37 minutes.
Havertz rose highest to power home Saka’s corner, marking the 18th time Arsenal have scored from a corner routine in the league this season.
The Havertz Controversy
Rather than opening the floodgates, the goal gave way to a fractious second half. Arsenal were exceedingly fortunate not to be reduced to ten men for the final quarter of the match when Havertz raked his studs down the calf of Lesley Ugochukwu.
The home fans were relieved to see the original on-field decision of a yellow card stand following a long video assistant referee (VAR) review. But Arteta did not want to take any more chances with Havertz, and he was soon replaced by Sweden striker Viktor Gyökeres, who could not make an impact.
Ultimately, Arsenal’s formidable backline ensured the three points. Since their defeat to Manchester City last month, the Gunners have kept four consecutive clean sheets.
The Final Judgement
Despite the narrow win, the title race remains technically alive. Should Manchester City end Bournemouth’s remarkable 16-game unbeaten run on Tuesday and follow it up with a win against Aston Villa, the race will go down to the final day.
Even in that scenario, victory for Arsenal away at Crystal Palace on Sunday will guarantee them the trophy. However, any slip-up by the Gunners at Selhurst Park would allow Pep Guardiola’s side to retain the title on goal difference, provided they win both of their remaining fixtures.
Adding further drama to the season’s climax, reports emerged on Monday suggesting that Guardiola intends to step down as Manchester City manager this summer, ending a decorated decade in charge at the Etihad Stadium.
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