Premier League, Arsenal escape. Only draw for City against Forest

“We’re gonna win the league”. The away section of the Amex Stadium breaks through immediately after the final whistle. Arsenal have just won 1-0 at Brighton, one of those “bad” victories that the Gunners have been lining up lately. The reason why the away fans are singing like that, however, immediately after a huge roar, is that they have just discovered that Forest have held City to a 2-2 draw. It means that their idols now have a 7-point lead with one game more over their rivals for the Premier League. It means that they can even lose that direct clash which now finally has a date, Sunday 19 April at 5.30pm Italian time, in Manchester: they would still remain ahead of City. It means that they are on the run again, that they are the masters of their own destiny, that the conquest of the Premier League they have been waiting for since 2004, from the Invincibles, is in their hands.

leak

—

The enthusiasm of the Arsenal fans is the culmination of an evening in which Arteta’s team did not play its best game but got what it wanted. A victory, the third in a row, which becomes even more important given City’s result. Saka decided it in the 9th minute, with a shot from the edge of the area deflected by Baleba and sending goalkeeper Verburggen out of time. It was one of the best things about the Arsenal match, concrete and unobtrusive, determined to complete his mission rather than put on a show. Brighton were coming off two victories, in the second half with Minteh replacing Mitoma on the left they tried to get back into the game. In defence, however, Gabriel found the wall, increasingly insurmountable and among the candidates for the player of the year award, and the compactness of a team determined to leave the Amex Stadium with a victory to continue to dictate the pace in the title race. It turned into an escape that exploded the joy of the fans, convinced now more than ever that we’re gonna win the league, that Arsenal will manage to win the Premier League at the top of their preferences for this year’s trophies.

braking

—

City tried until the end to keep up. A crossbar from Antoine Semenyo from a free kick in added time. Last shot of the match saved off the line by Nottingham Forest. It wasn’t enough to break the deadlock in the 2-2 draw, to take the victory that he had taken a step towards twice, with Semenyo (5 goals in two months with City) and in the second half with Rodri, and which was twice torn away by Forest’s desire to chase salvation. It’s a clear step back for a team that was coming off 4 wins in a row and seemed ready to fly. A clear step backwards also for Erving Haaland, “only” 3 goals in his last 11 Premier League games. And it is a step backwards that leaves us regretful for some refereeing decisions: «The dubious ones always go against us this year», said Bernardo Silva. And it leaves City chasing, 7 points behind and a game to recover, with Arsenal once again on the run and the sole master of their own destiny.