"Definitely knocked them back a bit" - Roy Keane identifies 2 results that halted Arsenal's title hopes
Manchester United legend Roy Keane has named the two games he feels where Arsenal spurned their chances of winning the Premier League.
The Gunners faltered in their quest to win the title for the first time since 2004. They held an eight-point lead over Manchester City in January but now trail the Cityzens by four points with two games remaining.
Arsenal suffered a dismal 3-0 defeat at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday (May 14). Keane covered the game for Sky Sports and gave his take on how things have panned out for Mikel Arteta's men.
He pinpointed draws against West Ham United and Southampton as being instrumental in their downfall:
"When you look at some of the games of the past five or six weeks, particularly the West Ham and Southampton games stand out."
The Gunners were held to a 2-2 draw by West Ham, with Bukayo Saka missing a penalty to put his side 3-1 ahead. They drew 3-3 with Southampton and trailed the Saints 3-2 heading into the dying embers at the Emirates.
Arsenal also suffered a 4-1 defeat to City and were pegged back in a 2-2 draw with Liverpool. Keane alluded to these games, too, but insisted that the other two results were more harmful given the opposition:
"I know they dropped points when losing at Manchester City, and drawing with Liverpool, which can happen. You can't win every game; they've won 25 league games, which is fantastic. But the points they lost against West Ham and Southampton definitely knocked them back a bit."
Brighton romped to victory at the Emirates with Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan on the scoresheet. Keane said that the north Londoners didn't look up for it:
"We saw a team today which was physically and mentally shot. It really was. As soon as Brighton started flexing their muscles, passing and moving, looking really sharper and quicker.”
Manchester City will win the title by beating Chelsea on Sunday (May 21). However, a defeat for Arsenal against Nottingham Forest the day before will also seal the deal for the Cityzens.
Arsenal's Martin Odegaard reacts to Brighton defeat
Arsenal looked shellshocked by the manner in which Brighton put them to the sword at home. It was a performance unbecoming of the Gunners side that have been superb for large swathes this season.
Martin Odegaard was shocked by the loss and has admitted that the title race is all but over, telling Sky Sports:
“It feels like (the title challenge is over). It is going to be very difficult now. We have to be honest. It is tough to take."
Odegaard explained the feeling in the dressing room and expressed his disappointment with his side's performance:
“It is not a good feeling at the moment. The way we played, particularly in the second half, I don’t know what happened to be honest. It feels like there is no hope now."
The Gunners will have to hope for an unlikely collapse from City. Pep Guardiola's men, though, have been relentless and are on course for a continental treble.