Sports Desk, May 20 (EFE).- Nottingham Forest beat Arsenal 1-0 Saturday to assure themselves of another season in the Premier League and close the door on the second-place Gunners’ hopes of wresting the title from defending champions Manchester City.
With one match left to play, Arsenal have 81 points, 4 behind City, who have a game in hand.
Pep Guardiola’s men will hoist the trophy Sunday at the conclusion with their match against Chelsea at the Etihad and can begin to look ahead to the June 3 FA Cup final against Manchester United, followed a week later by the Champions League final with Inter Milan.
It is City’s third straight league title and their fifth in the last six seasons.
Arsenal and their coach, former Guardiola assistant Mikel Arteta, can console themselves with the prospect of returning to the Champions League after six years away from Europe’s elite club competition.
Hosting the Gunners at the City Ground, promoted Forest started the day in 16th place, but just 3 points above the drop zone and desperate to get something out of the duel with the title contenders.
Against a much more talented team, Forest had no choice but to defend tenaciously and look for openings on the counter and one presented itself in the 19th minute.
A giveaway by Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard sent Morgan Gibbs-White charging into the offensive zone and he found Taiwo Awoniyi with a pass into the box and the ball found its way past Aaron Ramsdale to make it 1-0 for Forest.
While the Gunners generated plenty of chances in the first half, Forest goalkeeper Keylor Navas was not really tested until the 61st minute, when he turned aside a strike from Bukayo Saka.
Gibbs-White missed the target on an opportunity to double the lead in the 67th minute and Navas denied Saka’s attempt in the 97th minute before going off with an injury.
Backup keeper Wayne Hennessey came on to take the goal kick and the referee blew the whistle, signaling the start of the celebration for Forest and their supporters.
EFE /dr
