Arsenal moved to within touching distance of their first Premier League title in 22 years after a dramatic and contentious 1-0 victory away at West Ham United on Sunday, while Aston Villa’s push for Champions League qualification suffered a setback with a 2-2 draw against already-relegated Burnley. Fresh from booking their place in the Champions League final with a midweek aggregate win over Atletico Madrid, Mikel Arteta’s side traveled to the London Stadium knowing a win would reestablish a five-point lead over Manchester City with just two matches remaining. After a tense first half in which Mads Hermansen denied Leandro Trossard and the Belgian’s follow-up header struck the crossbar, Arsenal had to weather significant pressure as David Raya produced a crucial save to keep out Mateus Fernandes with just over 10 minutes left.
The decisive moment arrived in the 83rd minute when Trossard, ending a 25-game goal drought, fired a powerful low drive into the bottom corner after patient build-up from Martin Odegaard. The drama was not over, however, as deep into stoppage time Callum Wilson appeared to have equalized for West Ham. Following a lengthy VAR review, referee Chris Kavanagh ruled that Pablo had impeded Raya by placing his arm across the goalkeeper’s throat at the corner, and the goal was disallowed. Arteta praised the officials for their “courage and bravery” to review the incident, insisting it was a “clear foul”. The win means Arsenal need victories over already-relegated Burnley at home on May 18 and away at Crystal Palace on the final day to secure the title, irrespective of Manchester City’s results. City, who trail by five points but have a game in hand, face Palace, Bournemouth, and Villa in their remaining fixtures and could finish on a maximum of 83 points if they win all three.
Elsewhere, Aston Villa’s Champions League ambitions stalled after a 2-2 draw at Turf Moor just three days after their Europa League semi-final triumph over Nottingham Forest. Unai Emery’s men fell behind early when Jaidon Anthony capitalized on an Emi Martinez spill, but Ross Barkley headed them level before halftime and Ollie Watkins put Villa ahead early in the second half. Burnley, fighting to avoid a sixth straight defeat, equalized through Zian Flemming to ensure the points were shared. The result leaves Villa fifth, ahead of Liverpool on goal difference and four points clear of sixth-place Bournemouth, with tough fixtures against Liverpool and Manchester City still to come either side of their Europa League final against Freiburg. Villa could still reach next season’s Champions League by winning the Europa League, which would also allow sixth place to qualify if they finish fifth.
Arsenal’s win also had implications at the bottom of the table, guaranteeing Premier League safety for Crystal Palace, Leeds, and Nottingham Forest, while leaving West Ham a point adrift of 17th-placed Tottenham in a two-team fight for survival. With the Gunners now potentially 90 minutes from ending a 22-year wait for the league title, captain Martin Odegaard called the West Ham victory a “big moment” that required the squad to “dig deep”.
