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The title race in the Premier League practically came to an end as Arsenal fell to Brighton and Hove Albion 3-0, on Sunday, May 14.
With Manchester City winning comfortably against Everton earlier, Arsenal needed a win to keep the pressure on Pep Guardiola's side. Mikel Arteta was forced to make a change at left-back as a season-ending injury to Oleksandr Zinchenko meant Kieran Tierney took his place.
Brighton, on the other hand, looked to put the bow on a brilliant season. The Seagulls were looking to gain a foothold in the race for Europa League qualification. Manager Roberto de Zerbi made four changes, headlined by the return of teenage striker Evan Ferguson.
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The first half was a cagey affair as both sides committed fouls to contain each other's attacks. Moises Caicedo was notably lucky to escape without a yellow, his challenge on Gabriel Martinelli eventually forcing the Brazilian to be replaced by Leandro Trossard.
The former Brighton man almost broke the deadlock after his introduction, but his shot took a deflection before striking the crossbar.
Early in the second half, Brighton took the lead as Kaoru Mitoma danced past Ben White on the left before releasing Pervis Estupinan. The full-back had two chances to find Julio Enciso in the middle, who nodded home from close range (51').
Arsenal then went on the attack, looking to salvage the result. Substitute Reiss Nelson came closest as the Gunners struggled to create good chances against a strong Brighton defense.
The tie was put to bed by substitute Denis Undaz in the 86th minute when he dinked the ball past Aaron Ramsdale to make it 2-0 to the Seagulls.
Estupinan bagged another one late in stoppage time (90+6') to rub salt in Arsenal's wounds. The result meant that even if the Gunners beat Nottingham Forest midweek, Manchester City will be crowned champions with a win over Chelsea next Saturday.
Here are five talking points from the game.
#5. Some questionable officiating in the first half
The first half of the match saw some poor refereeing. Both teams resorted to fouling to prevent build-up. A half with 17 fouls total saw just a solitary yellow card awarded to Pervis Estupinan.
Caicedo should have been booked for a terrible challenge on Martinelli, which saw the winger leave the field. The Brazilian himself should have received a yellow for a harsh foul on Kaoru Mitoma.
#4. Another Roberto de Zerbi masterpiece
Roberto de Zerbi has taken the Premier League by storm since his arrival as Graham Potter's replacement. Despite losing their manager and some of the best players from last season, including the likes of Marc Cucurella, Yves Bissouma, and Leandro Trossard, they have performed admirably.
Since his arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk, de Zerbi has led Brighton to some strong performances, with wins over Arsenal and a league double over Chelsea.
#3. Pervis Estupinan was a game-changer
The Ecuadorian left-back was set for some troubling times, matched up against Bukayo Saka but performed quite well. He defended Saka well, despite receiving a yellow midway through the first half. He set up Julio Enciso with an easy header for Brighton's first before scoring himself late in the game to cap off a brilliant result.
#2. The injury to William Saliba has proven costly for Arsenal
William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes emerged as a formidable centre-back partnership for Arsenal this season, a key reason behind their title charge. However, since the Frenchman suffered an injury against Sporting CP in March in the Europa League, Arsenal have not looked the same defensively.
Their points per game in the Premier League has dipped from 2.44 with the defender to 1.88 without him and they have also conceded more goals per game without him.
#1. The title race is all but over
Manchester City opened up a four-point lead at the top earlier today with a win over Everton, meaning Arsenal needed to beat Brighton to stay in the hunt. However, the Gunners put up an uninspiring performance.
The Cityzens can wrap up the title with two games to spare if they can beat Chelsea next week. Having spent a good portion of the season at the top of the table, Arsenal fans will feel they have thrown away a golden opportunity to lift some silverware.
