With a 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday, Arsenal restored their position atop the standings and guaranteed that the Premier League title fight would go to the very end of the season.
At Old Trafford, Leandro Trossard’s 20th-minute winner ensures that the London team will face the reigning champion Manchester City in the round of 16 on Sunday.
“Our goal for today was to truly knock on that door, open that box of dreams, and spend the last day of the season in front of our supporters with the chance to win the Premier League,” stated Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal. “Everything is on the line. Since January, we have had no margin for mistake.
In the event that Arsenal defeated United, City would have won at Tottenham on Tuesday to secure the championship. With proper delivery, Arteta’s squad took the lead by one point.
After City’s game at Spurs on Tuesday, they will play West Ham at home before Arsenal hosts Everton in the championship round.
As of right now, Arsenal has exerted every effort to maintain pressure on Pep Guardiola’s squad, which is an improvement over the previous season when it gave up late in order to let City win the championship with three games remaining.
Although City still has the title, it will need to win its final two games to guarantee a record-tying fourth English league championship.
Arsenal wants to win the title for the first time since 2004—the year Arsene Wenger’s squad remained undefeated throughout the league season, earning them the moniker “Invincibles.”
Although it cannot duplicate that achievement, the current class has set two new Premier League club records with its 27 victories and 89 goals.
Arteta remarked, “That’s history, not progress.” “It’s really challenging to accomplish, particularly in the league we currently play in.”
Given that Arsenal had only triumphed once in its previous 16 league games at United’s home stadium, the trip to Old Trafford always appeared to be the team’s biggest test as the season neared. History did not favor Arsenal. Even with that record, it was still the favorite to defeat a United squad that had been soundly defeated 4-0 at Selhurst Park earlier in the week by Crystal Palace.
After coming under fire for his position as a substitute center back against Palace, Casemiro was again at fault for Arsenal’s victory when he took too long to push up and allowed Kai Havertz to play onside. Taking advantage of the situation, the Germany striker drove into the box and then crossed so that Trossard could convert at close range.
Because there was so much on the line, Arsenal’s players seemed to become tense and were unable to capitalize on their early lead, giving United extended stretches of possession.
Nevertheless, United never seemed inclined to let its opponent get close, and it was Arsenal who came closest to extending their lead via Declan Rice and Gabriel Martinelli, two second-half substitutes.
