FA PREMIER LEAGUE
ARSENAL 0 
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 3 (Enciso 51, Undav 86, Estupinan 90+6)

SO that’s then. Arsenal were already grasping onto thin hope that the moneyed powerhouse of Manchester City might stop winning every single match, but the equation also needed them to do their part too.

And after draws against West Ham and Southampton that should have been victories, Brighton and Hove Albion delivered a knockout blow at the Emirates Stadium this afternoon (Sunday) with something of a masterclass from defence to attack.

The visitors patiently contained Mikel Arteta’s men, slowing the game down at times and frustrating a team so eager for three points.

But they broke with purpose and panache and ran out deserved winners in north London. Their efforts this season have been enjoyable to watch, and a place in Europe has been well-earned. This result lifted the south coast team above Spurs.

It might have been a different outcome if the Gunners had been more clinical with a clutch of first half chances, although most of them were shots from outside of the box. Martin Odegaard screwed his effort wide as he tried to recreate the goal he scored at Newcastle United last week, and Leandro Trossard bruised the crossbar with a flying shot off the bar.

Bukayo Saka may also have scored but rattled a falling ball wide. He was a real threat and had the better of Estupinan, the Brightom full back, but was not found by his colleagues when racing into good positions.

After the break, Arsenal forced a corner within 30 seconds of the restart, but rather than being a signal of intent and the unleashing of a second period where they might have laid siege to the Brighton’s goal, attacks began to fizzle out.

Maybe there was a bit of panic. Brighton were certainly calmer, and spotted their moments to break through Enciso and Mitoma. This was how they opened the scoring. Mitoma sped down the wing and dazzled Ben White. Eventually it broke to Estupinan whose rather tame cross was… tamely nodded in by Enciso. Why so tame? Centre back Jacob Kiwior had fallen to the floor after being stepped on by Evan Ferguson in the build up. There was no check of this from the video assistant referee and Brighton celebrated.

There was more than enough time to pull it back and Arsenal have mounted some impressive comebacks this season, but if anything more panic set in. Substitute Reiss Nelson came closest to an equaliser, when he swerved a shot wide.

The feeling that they might somehow pull off another turnaround wasn’t really there. The Ashburton Army’s drum continued to beat but there was a flatness in the crowd. The easy win for City against Everton earlier in the day had been deflating enough but now the Gunners were trailing at home.

The hope was finally lost with a few minutes to go when Arsenal were caught playing out from the back. Trossard, the former Brighton player, tried to flick the ball on from a quick pass from Ramsdale, but it was intercepted and Seagulls striker Denis Undav was suddenly all alone in front of goal, from where he chipped the ball smartly over the distraught Arsenal keeper.

As the Arsenal fans poured out, there was more pain. Caicedo, who Arsenal desperately tried to sign in January and who once again showed his credentials in this match by controlling the middle of the park, burst forward to fire at Ramsdale. The keeper parried to his right and Estupinan arrived to add a third.

The maths meant City still aren’t quite over the line, but would need to fail to win again this season for the unthinkable to happen, and not even the most optimistic Arsenal fan can still believe there is a way through to the top again. City, with two top class and expensive players for every position, simply do not lose points at this time in the season. It’s why the England must get used to a robotic national game.

This will be CIty’s fifth title in six years, an ugly monopoly only broken up in the Covid-hit season when Liverpool triumphed in front of empty stands.

Arteta said afterwards: “We have to apologise to our people, especially what happened in the second half. We have to digest [what has happened] and that’s going to take a few days.”

He said his team had “no answers” to Brighton at times, and that Arsenal had conceded “two poor goals”, adding: “At the moment, the emotion is frustration. We worked really hard to be in the position we are in, but in this moment we cannot do what we did in the second half.”

ARSENAL: Ramsdale, White, Tierney, Gabriel, Kiwior, Jorginho (Partey 60), Xhaka (Nelson 60), Odegaad (Smith Rowe 77), Saka, Martinelli (Trossard 20), Jesus (Nketiah 77)
SUBS NOT USED: Holding, Turner, Vieira, Walters
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION: Steele, Gross, Estupinan, Dunk, Colwill, Caicedo, Gilmour (Welbeck 60) Mac Allister, Enciso (Undav 82), Mitoma, Ferguson (Buonanotte 77)
SUBS NOT USED: Ayari, McGill, Moran, Offiah, Peupion Van Hecke