Match ends, Arsenal 1, Brighton and Hove Albion 1.
Arsenal 1-1 Brighton: Hosts' top-four hopes all but over after lacklustre draw
- From the section Premier League
Arsenal's hopes of a top-four Premier League finish are all but over after the lacklustre hosts were held by Brighton at Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners are three points behind Tottenham in fourth with one game to play but would need an eight-goal swing, as well as results going their way, to overtake their rivals.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put Arsenal in front with a ninth-minute penalty after Alireza Jahanbakhsh was judged to have fouled Nacho Monreal despite appearing to get the ball.
Aside from occasional bursts, Unai Emery's side were shaky and sloppy for long periods, with Granit Xhaka committing an absurd foul on Solly March to concede a penalty that Glenn Murray converted on 61 minutes.
Arsenal frantically searched for a winner but Aubameyang volleyed wide from seven yards out and Brighton keeper Mat Ryan made a series of fine saves.
Pascal Gross could have won the game for Brighton late on but skewed his effort out towards the sideline with the goal unmanned after Bernd Leno's superb save from March, while the visitors withstood another flurry from Arsenal in the final stages.
Barring a highly improbable final day, Arsenal will need to win the Europa League to play in the Champions League next season and take a 3-1 advantage into their semi-final second-leg in Valencia on Thursday.
Sloppy Arsenal fail to scrape through
Looking to avoid a fourth straight Premier League defeat, Arsenal made a bright start in attack, though were fortunate to be awarded a penalty, despite referee Anthony Taylor being well placed, with replays showing Jahanbakhsh got to the ball before Monreal fell.
Still, that early breakthrough through Aubameyang's 20th league goal of the season should have allowed the hosts to exert control over the game, but instead they became nervy and vulnerable.
Goalkeeper Leno sent an abysmal clearance straight to March before recovering to save Murray's free header moments later, while Stephan Litchtsteiner, making his first appearance since late February, was frequently exposed.
There was another promising spell at the end of the first half, with Aubameyang, Shkodran Mustafi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan testing Brighton keeper Ryan, but Arsenal's inability to create clear chances gave Brighton increasing confidence in finding an equaliser.
Even then it took a staggeringly poor decision by Xhaka. Running behind the surging March inside the area, the Switzerland midfielder initially held up his hands to indicate he was not touching the Brighton midfielder only to then whack his shoulder and concede a penalty.
And so a game Arsenal should perhaps have dictated against an opposition who were already guaranteed Premier League survival became a manic attempt to salvage a dispiriting end to the league season.
They came close to scraping a winner but could not do it, the lap of honour conducted with glum faces as the Gunners must now focus on winning the club's first European trophy since 1994.
More to follow.
Line-ups
Arsenal
- 19Leno
- 12LichtsteinerBooked at 64minsSubstituted forKolasinacat 77'minutes
- 20MustafiBooked at 84mins
- 5PapastathopoulosBooked at 14mins
- 18Monreal
- 11Torreira
- 34XhakaBooked at 60minsSubstituted forIwobiat 77'minutes
- 10Özil
- 7MkhitaryanSubstituted forGuendouziat 77'minutesBooked at 83mins
- 9Lacazette
- 14Aubameyang
Substitutes
- 1Cech
- 4Elneny
- 6Koscielny
- 17Iwobi
- 29Guendouzi
- 31Kolasinac
- 49Nketiah
Brighton
- 1Ryan
- 2Bruno
- 4Duffy
- 5DunkBooked at 63mins
- 30Bernardo
- 16JahanbakhshSubstituted forKnockaertat 45'minutes
- 13GroßBooked at 45minsSubstituted forKayalat 90+2'minutes
- 6Stephens
- 8Bissouma
- 20March
- 17MurraySubstituted forAndoneat 78'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Bong
- 7Kayal
- 9Locadia
- 10Andone
- 11Knockaert
- 14Balogun
- 27Button
- Referee:
- Anthony Taylor
- Attendance:
- 59,965
Match Stats
Home TeamArsenalAway TeamBrighton
- Possession
- Home71%
- Away29%
- Shots
- Home20
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home8
- Away5
- Corners
- Home16
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away14
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Arsenal 1, Brighton and Hove Albion 1.
Attempt blocked. Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Mesut Özil with a cross.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Yves Bissouma.
Attempt saved. Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Substitution
Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Beram Kayal replaces Pascal Groß.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Solly March.
Attempt blocked. Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Alex Iwobi.
Offside, Brighton and Hove Albion. Mat Ryan tries a through ball, but Anthony Knockaert is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Lucas Torreira (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Shkodran Mustafi.
Attempt missed. Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with a cross.
Offside, Brighton and Hove Albion. Anthony Knockaert tries a through ball, but Yves Bissouma is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Pascal Groß (Brighton and Hove Albion) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box misses to the left.
Attempt saved. Solly March (Brighton and Hove Albion) header from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Pascal Groß.
Booking
Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card.
Attempt missed. Yves Bissouma (Brighton and Hove Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Shane Duffy.
Booking
Matteo Guendouzi (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for hand ball.
Hand ball by Matteo Guendouzi (Arsenal).
Attempt missed. Bernardo (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Assisted by Yves Bissouma.
Offside, Arsenal. Matteo Guendouzi tries a through ball, but Sead Kolasinac is caught offside.
Substitution
Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Florin Andone replaces Glenn Murray.
Substitution
Substitution, Arsenal. Matteo Guendouzi replaces Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Substitution
Substitution, Arsenal. Alex Iwobi replaces Granit Xhaka.
Substitution
Substitution, Arsenal. Sead Kolasinac replaces Stephan Lichtsteiner.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Solly March.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Lewis Dunk.
Attempt blocked. Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Mat Ryan.
Attempt saved. Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Attempt missed. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Mat Ryan.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Shane Duffy.
Attempt saved. Anthony Knockaert (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Pascal Groß.
Attempt saved. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Mesut Özil.
Attempt missed. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Granit Xhaka with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Anthony Knockaert.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Anthony Knockaert.
Attempt blocked. Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Granit Xhaka.
Lucas Torreira (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Bernardo (Brighton and Hove Albion).
