Arsenal yet again threw away an opportunity to keep their top four hopes alive after a 1-1 draw against a resolute Brighton side. The North London club now sit fifth with 67 points, three behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur who have a superior goal difference.
A win for Emery’s side would have taken the top four battle to the final match day.The Gunners started the game brightly putting the away side under relentless pressure early on. Eventually, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the first goal of the game from the penalty spot after Alireza Jahanbakhsh fouled Nacho Monreal inside the box.
From that moment many may have thought that the Emirates club would follow with a couple more goals but it was to be their last goal at home this season. Despite their sloppiness Arsenal seemed to be in control for an extended spell.
Nonetheless, just after the hour mark, they let the Seagulls back into the tie when Glenn Murray too scored from the penalty spot thanks to a clumsy challenge by Granit Xhaka.
The goal by the away side unsettled the Gunners who defensively looked out of sorts and had to momentarily rely on Bernd Leno again to avoid any humiliation. Emery’s side created a host of chances but could not surely find a way past Chris Hughton’s team.
They labored for a winning goal but Aubameyang failed to convert from close range with only 15 minutes to go. A draw in this tie seemed like a defeat for everyone at Arsenal. The dejected faces showed it all when the referee, Anthony Taylor, blew the last whistle of the game.
But how did Arsenal fail to win against Brighton with such high stakes? Take nothing from Hughton’s men though. After their goal, they were a different group- confident on the ball and intermittently threatened, especially on the breaks.
Brighton’s safety was confirmed on Saturday after Cardiff were relegated and were under no pressure to get a result at the Emirates. Under such circumstances, everyone would have thought that Arsenal’s quality would suffice but they miserably failed.
Fairly, with Tottenham’s superior goal difference, a top-four finish is now out of reach even with a game to go. However, all in not lost yet. The Europa League is still up for grabs and the Gunners are just two games away from winning it. It will be a direct ticket to next season Champions League and Emery’s men need to forget about their missed chances and focus ahead.
