Brighton are on the brink of European qualification, at the expense of Arsenal title hopes, after soaring to a 3-0 victory at Emirates Stadium yesterday.
The defeat leaves Arsenal (81 points – 2nd place) four points behind Manchester City, with the two-time defending Premier League champions having three games left to play, to Arsenal’s two.
A home victory over Chelsea on Sunday will see Manchester City make it three straight PL titles — provided Arsenal win to remain mathematically in the hunt on Saturday.
Three more points put Brighton (58 points) in pole position for 6th place and a spot in next season’s Europa League. The Seagulls are already a point above both Tottenham and Aston Villa, with two games in hand. 5th-place Liverpool sit four points ahead having played one more game thus far.
Brighton were slower out of the starting gates yesterday with just one shot in the game’s opening half-hour, before Roberto De Zerbi’s side found its footing and began to push back. The tide started to turn are the 35-minute mark, and indeed it was Brighton who broke the deadlock shortly after halftime.
For all the pretty possession on display, it was a mis-hit, bouncing cross headed home from six yards out that ultimately did the trick for Brighton. Pervis Estupinan’s cross took a big bounce to clear the near-post defender and find Julio Enciso, who had perched himself atop the six-yard, for a simple header past Aaron Ramsdale.
The second goal came on 87 minutes as Arsenal made widespread changes and pressed for an equalizer. A poor giveaway turned into a quick transitional moment for the Premier League’s preeminent transition team. In the end, Deniz Undav lifted the ball over Ramsdale and wheeled away as it fell back to earth and bounced over the goal line.
Estupinan sent the away fans into delirium once more in the 95th minute, when Undav had his initial shot saved, but the ball bounced to the Ecuadorian international, who lifted it over the flailing Ramsdale for a more emphatic final headline. Seagulls on European tour.
