Well, the moment North London has been waiting 22 years for is almost here. Arsenal host already-relegated Burnley at the Emirates Stadium tonight at 8 pm, and a win, followed by Manchester City failing to beat Bournemouth on Tuesday, would hand Mikel Arteta’s side their first Premier League title since the Invincibles season of 2003–04.
Arteta’s side arrive at tonight’s game in the kind of form title-winning teams are made of. Arsenal have won four of their last five matches across the Premier League and Champions League, including a 3–0 dismantling of Fulham and a hard-fought win over Atlético Madrid in Europe, scoring ten goals while conceding just two. The title race, which had looked in danger of slipping away after three successive league defeats in April, has been wrestled firmly back into Arsenal’s hands.
The opposition tonight could hardly be more obliging on paper. Arsenal are two games away from Premier League glory and know that wins here and against Crystal Palace on the final day will be enough for their first title in 22 years. Burnley sit 19th in the Premier League and have lost four of their last five league matches, managing just three goals while conceding ten. They impressed in last Sunday’s 2–2 draw against Aston Villa, but not even the most optimistic Clarets fan will be confident heading to the Emirates tonight.
Arsenal sit two points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table, with both sides having the same number of games remaining. City beat Crystal Palace 3-0 on Wednesday and face Bournemouth away on Tuesday, meaning tonight’s result at the Emirates is only half the equation. If Arsenal win and City slip up tomorrow, the title is theirs. If both sides win their remaining games, it goes to the final day at Crystal Palace on Sunday, 24 May.
Ben White came off worse in a challenge with West Ham’s Crysencio Summerville during last weekend’s win and has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an MCL injury — one that could also extinguish his World Cup chances. Cristhian Mosquera is expected to start at right back in his absence. Riccardo Calafiori is in contention, but Arteta has Piero Hincapié in reserve should the Italian not be fit enough to start. Jurrien Timber and Mikel Merino remain out.
Martin Odegaard is pushing to return to the starting lineup after a superb cameo off the bench against West Ham, providing the assist for Leandro Trossard’s winner. Bukayo Saka is expected to start and has spoken openly about what winning a major trophy with Arsenal would mean to him. Viktor Gyökeres, who has been sensational since joining in January, leads the line.
