London (VG) (Arsenal – Southampton 3-3) Arsenal held out with a great rebound, but one point ahead of the jumbo table, they are vying for the league title. After the setback, sad Martin Odegaard wandered around the Emirates.
Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka scored in the 88th and 90th minutes of play, going from 1-3 to save points with 3-3, and Emirates went from deep despondency to overwhelming euphoria.
Until the truth sinks in again. There was a crowd of devastated Arsenal roaming the lawn. Captain Odegaard looked visibly affected, while goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdal bit his hand.
– They have to achieve something supernatural between now and the end of the season, says Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher.
One point against relegation-threatened Southampton is two very few in an intense title battle.
1 out of 4Photo: Hannah McKay/Reuters
With three of the last nine possible points, Odegaard and his team mates. Go from Premier League favorites to underdogs.
Admittedly, they still have a five-point lead, but Manchester City have played two games less, showing unbeatable form. And They have home ground advantage when they meet next Wednesday. The wind has shifted.
“They have to pick up their chins and play the game of their lives against City,” Carragher’s Sky Sports partner Gary Neville says of the Arsenal players.
Manchester City’s Erling Braut Haaland may have been quite satisfied with what happened in the Emirates, and at the end of the match he quickly took to Twitter after his title rival dropped points.
We must stay together until the end. We still have a lot going into this season, it’s not over and we’re still five points ahead. Manchester City have two games to go, but if we want to be champions we have to go there and win the game, it’s that simple, Gabriel Jesus told Sky Sports.
Little did Mikel Arteta understand what Arsenal had achieved.
– You can’t concede three goals in this league, not with such negligence. Then it’s hard to win matches. We scored three goals, maybe we should have scored five or six, but it wasn’t enough to win the game, says the manager.
As with last year, questions have been raised about whether Arteta’s young and inexperienced side can handle the pressure at the end of the season, but Arteta has a clear message about that:
– This young team interacts fantastically. The way they play is a joy to watch. I feel for them today, but the message is clear: I love them, concluded the Arsenal manager.
– We are the smallest team in the league but we don’t make excuses. Sometimes we do the right thing and sometimes we do the wrong thing. Everyone can make mistakes, so it’s very important that we stay consistent, says Jesus.
Mohamed Elyounoussi told VG there were mixed feelings after the dramatic finish, though he admits he would have accepted one point before the match.
However, he doesn’t think they have spoiled anything for Arsenal’s title run.
– Everything is in their hands, says the 29-year-old.
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