Arsenal get job done against Burnley but title nerves still linger

It is very much advantage Arsenal in the Premier League title race. Yet it is not beyond the realms of possibility to envisage a side that struggled to see off Burnley finding the pressure too much in south London against Crystal Palace.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hugs club mascot Gunnersaurus after the Premier League victory over Burnley. Pic: John Walton/PA Wire.

Right now the confirmed trophy count for the 2025-26 season reads Pep Guardiola: two, Mikel Arteta: nil. Incredibly that tally could yet be 3-0 to the Manchester City manager before Arsenal play in the Champions League final at the end of the month.

Somehow the worst fears of all Gunners fans remain lodged in their brains, begging to be exorcised.

Yes, Arsenal saw off Burnley to move five points clear. Yes, there is absolutely no wriggle room remaining for a City side that looked like it was on course for glory after all and then failed to win at Everton.

But make no mistake, this was not an Arsenal win to savour for any reason other than it Got The Job Done. It was nervy, error-strewn and nothing remotely resembling the swagger of champions to be.

Yet for all of that the title might still be Arsenal's tonight.

City have to win at the Vitality Stadium to take the title race to the final day and if they do then they will have to beat Aston Villa at the Etihad and hope Arsenal somehow seize up at Selhurst Park.

A City win is easy enough to imagine. Villa will have played on Wednesday, in the Europa League final, and it seems unlikely that should Freiburg of the Bundesliga be defeated in Istanbul Unai Emery will replicate Pep's 'not a single beer' directive after Saturday's lacklustre FA Cup final victory over Chelsea.

Crystal Palace are the other side of that particular shiny Euro coin given that their trip to the Continent, a date with Rayo Vallecano of La Liga in the Conference final, follows three days after the conclusion of Premier League duties. Oliver Glasner, who signs off as Eagles manager in Leipzig, has pretty much said he cares not ein jot for any debate about the 'integrity' of the title race and will pick whoever he likes.

Advantage Arsenal, and in spades, yet it is not beyond the realms of possibility to envisage a side that struggled to see off Burnley finding the pressure too much in south London.

Burnley, already relegated and already having shed Scott Parker as manager, were 20-1 shots before kick-off, odds that seemed pretty generous seeing as they had won only twice away from Turf Moor all season and four times overall.

But the Clarets were utterly unwilling to live up to their lack of reputation from the first kick, defending solidly and countering whenever possible, including on one occasion when Hannibal Mejbri fired wide while off balance at the back post.

The home fans were palpably nervous, their unease growing every time Arsenal failed to turn pressure into precision. Leandro Trossard hit a post early on, Kai Havertz couldn't seem to get himself in the right place, Bukayo Saka chipped over goalkeeper Max Weiss but beyond the back post and most of all when the latter seemed to have been brought down right in front of goal.

Referee Paul Tierney decreed that Lucas Pires had got enough of the ball as well as man despite coming in from behind and VAR did not disagree.

Finally the dam broke just before the break; fittingly from a corner, with Havertz jumping the highest from three yards to head home.

The second period turned out to be even less enjoyable than the first as supporters lost it entirely with too many turnovers to allow Burnley, with nothing to lose, to get far more touches in the Arsenal box than most visitors to the Emirates Stadium.

Hannibal still couldn't finish, blasting a decent chance over before Arsenal decided they would do exactly what they did against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final second leg - hang on to that one-goal lead. Which they did. It must also be said, though, that a first Arsenal title since 2004 can only be seen to be Good For Football in the way Celtic's last-day disappointing of Hearts was most certainly not (and I'm not even talking about the pitch invasion antics here).

Having a sub-standard City side come through at the death would be as unsatisfactory as Martin O'Neill's pale-shade Hoops collective being artificially propelled over the line by VAR.

Those remote-control referees from Stockley Park have given Arsenal a big boost too this season, there is no pretending they haven't but that in a way is also Good For Football (whatever West Ham may argue otherwise).

Yes Gunners fans will be insufferable for a while but at long last that dreadful incel energy will have been exorcised. No more whining about why referees don't love them or how come trophy-engravers prefer someone richer.

Football needed a bit of a reset and, astonishingly, it came from a whole lot of wrestling from set-pieces. Whatever next?