Arsenal could be crowned Premier League champions on Tuesday after they re-established a five-point lead over Manchester City with a 1-0 win over Burnley.
On the night that reports emerged that Pep Guardiola is set to leave City at the end of the season, Mikel Arteta’s men took a huge step towards beating his side to the title, though they did not do so in convincing fashion.
It took Arsenal 38 minutes to break the deadlock, with Kai Havertz rising to meet a Bukayo Saka corner and head home.
But the Gunners laboured in their efforts to put the game beyond doubt, with Havertz fortunate not to receive a red card that would have significantly frayed the nerves in North London.
Yet despite and admirable Burnley performance, there were few signs of a seismic sting in the tail, with the narrow win meaning Arsenal will be champions if City fail to win at Bournemouth, or if Arteta’s men finish the job by beating Crystal Palace in their final game of the season on Sunday.
Arsenal on the cusp
Arsenal were frustrated for much of the first half by a surprisingly resolute Burnley, the relegated visitors displaying plenty of pride in their performance.
Leandro Trossard hit the post and Saka saw claims for a penalty dismissed by VAR when he went down under the challenge of Lucas Pires when attempting to turn a left-wing cross home.
But Saka’s anger turned to joy as, after Martin Odegaard had an effort deflected wide, the England winger produced an excellent set-piece delivery that Havertz leapt to meet and provide the breakthrough.
Saka went close to making it 2-0 with a superb curling effort that bent narrowly wide, but clear-cut chances were few and far between thereafter.
Eberechi Eze did volley onto the top of the crossbar, but the Burnley goal was otherwise rarely troubled despite Arsenal’s predictable dominance of possession.
There was a tense wait for Arsenal as VAR checked a Havertz foul on Lesley Ugochukwu, with the German surprisingly allowed to stay on the pitch despite a studs up challenge from behind on the midfielder’s leg.
Burnley might have offered more as an attacking force had that decision gone the other way but, with the numbers equal, there was never a danger of an equaliser. Now Arsenal will watch to see if a Bournemouth side that looked to have delivered a hammer blow in the title race last month with victory at the Emirates can claim a result that hands the Gunners the trophy.
