The margin was a single goal, the manner was nervy, and the VAR gods smiled when they probably shouldn't have. None of that will matter if Arsenal finish the job. Leandro Trossard's first-half strike at the London Stadium on Sunday moved Mikel Arteta's side to within touching distance of a Premier League title that has eluded the club since 2004—when Thierry Henry prowled the Emirates turf and the word "Invincibles" entered English football's lexicon.
Arsenal now hold a five-point cushion with two matches remaining. A win at home to Newcastle next weekend would clinch it mathematically, regardless of what Manchester City do. For a fanbase that has endured the banter era, the Wenger fade-out, and two agonizing second-place finishes under Arteta himself, the proximity to silverware feels almost disorienting.
The VAR reprieve that nobody in N5 will mention
West Ham thought they had equalized midway through the second half when Mohammed Kudus bundled the ball home from a corner. The goal was chalked off for a marginal push on Gabriel—a call that, on another day with another set of officials, might have stood. Arteta's sideline composure cracked only briefly; he knew the luck had swung his way. Title-winning seasons are littered with such moments, and Arsenal have now accumulated enough of them to suggest this is their year rather than another false dawn.
City's fading challenge
Pep Guardiola's defending champions have been curiously mortal this spring. Injuries to Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne gutted their midfield rhythm at the worst possible time, and a draw at Aston Villa last week effectively handed Arsenal control of their own destiny. City can still win out and hope for a North London collapse, but hope is a thin currency when you've dominated English football for the better part of a decade and suddenly find yourself chasing.
What the title would mean for Arteta
The Spaniard arrived at Arsenal in December 2019 as Guardiola's understudy, inheriting a squad short on spine and long on expensive passengers. The rebuild has been methodical—Saliba, Ødegaard, Rice—and occasionally painful. Finishing second twice, including a gut-wrenching final-day loss of the 2022-23 title race, threatened to define his tenure as nearly-but-not-quite. Delivering the club's first championship in two decades would reframe the narrative entirely, positioning Arteta as the architect of a genuine dynasty rather than a diligent project manager.
Our take
Arsenal have earned this, VAR controversy and all. The squad is deeper, the mentality harder, and the manager more ruthless than at any point since the Wenger peak. One more professional performance against Newcastle and the trophy drought ends. North London will be insufferable for months. They've waited long enough to deserve it.
