The Premier League title race is entering its most breathtaking stage when both Arsenal and Manchester City are not allowed to stumble.
Arsenal just won an extremely important 1-0 victory over West Ham United in a tense match at the London stadium. Coach Mikel Arteta's team could only breathe a sigh of relief after VAR denied West Ham's equalizing goal in injury time.
Less than 24 hours earlier, Man City defeated Brentford 3-0 to narrow the gap with Arsenal to 2 points, while creating huge pressure on the top team.
In that context, Arsenal was forced to respond and they did, although in an extremely difficult way. Goalkeeper David Raya made a breakthrough save against Mateus Fernandez's shot, before Leandro Trossard scored the only goal in the 83rd minute.
It was a great moment, a great afternoon and also a great week for us. The whole team showed incredible desire, bravery and fighting spirit at a time when everything was decisive" - Arteta said.
Drama continued to appear in injury time when Callum Wilson put the ball into Arsenal's net. However, after reviewing the VAR, the referee determined that Raya had fouled in the previous dispute and the goal was disallowed.
This victory helps Arsenal re-establish a 5-point gap with Man City, even though coach Pep Guardiola's team still has one match to play. More importantly, the fate of the championship is still entirely in Arsenal's hands.
The remaining schedule of the "Gunners" is considered relatively favorable. They will host Burnley - a team that has officially been relegated - at the Emirates before playing away at Crystal Palace in the final round.
Crystal Palace is likely to have to rotate the squad because just a few days later, they will enter the UEFA Europa Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano. Meanwhile, Man City will successively face Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Aston Villa.
The biggest challenge for Man City is considered to be the away match to Bournemouth's stadium - a team still competing for a European cup spot next season. In the final round, Aston Villa may also be affected physically when having to play in the European final before the confrontation at the Etihad.
However, all scenarios are still open. Just one slip-up, the situation of the championship race could completely reverse in the final rounds of the season.
The pressure at this time is not only in points but also in bravery. Arsenal is facing the opportunity to end more than two decades of waiting for the Premier League title, while Man City still possesses the experience and DNA of a team that has dominated the league for many consecutive years. Therefore, every goal, every VAR decision or even a moment of distraction can become a turning point that decides the whole season.
