Santi Cazorla announced he was leaving Arsenal on this day in 2018 after six years with the club.

The Spain midfielder, then aged 33, had made 180 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners, scoring 29 goals, following his arrival from Malaga in 2012.

Out of action since October 2016 due to an Achilles injury, he was set to depart with his contract coming to an end.

Cazorla’s time with Arsenal included two FA Cup triumphs, with him scoring a free-kick in the 2014 final, which Arsene Wenger’s side won 3-2, to begin a comeback after they had fallen 2-0 behind to Hull at Wembley.

In a video addressing fans, Cazorla said: “I am very sad to be leaving after so many great times.

“I have loved my time with the club and I will always remember the special moments we had together.

“Our FA Cup win in 2014 is something we will never forget, it was a great moment for me and for the club.

“I want to say thank you very much because you always give me a special support. I am very proud to be part of this club’s history and I want to wish you the best; I will miss you a lot.”

Mikel Arteta was apologetic as he reflected on a “really sad day” after Arsenal’s faint Premier League title hopes were ended by a 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest.

Manchester City were confirmed as champions after Taiwo Awoniyi’s first-half goal saw Forest earn the three points that secured their top-flight status.

The Gunners, who were insatiable for most of the campaign, had spent 248 days on top of the table and held an eight-point lead over City in March, but an alarming slide saw them overtaken by Pep Guardiola’s relentless juggernaut who claim a fifth title in six seasons.

No team has spent more time on top of the table and not won the league, which left Arteta crestfallen.

“Really sad day, a lot of difficult emotions, we lost the game, we lost the championship after 10 and a half months fighting for it and nine and a half months almost on top of it,” he said.

“We built a lot of illusion and belief that we could go all the way and win it and in the end we fell short. Congratulations to Man City, they are the champions, they deserve to be the champions, they have done it for 38 games, we haven’t been able to do that.

“That is it and from my side I apologise because we have built that belief that we could do it and in the end the team wasn’t able to do it and that is my responsibility.

“Today is just a lot of sadness. You see a lot of people, they put everything, they put so much work, so much belief and so much hours and I am sad, I am sad for them because we wanted to find a way and squeeze everything we had in that group.

“We fell short and this is my job and my responsibility, I have to analyse that and think.

“Today we should have played much better, we gave them a goal and gave them another chance to score another goal if they wanted and we fell short to break them down.

“You need, when you come to April and May, 24 players there and available, fit and playing at their best, full of confidence and ready to go and for many reasons we haven’t had that.

“There are key moments in the league that define, the momentum goes there, the result goes there and we didn’t have those margins going on our side.”

For Forest it was a real red letter day as they secured their survival against the odds.

For large parts of the season, which began with more than 20 new signings, they looked destined to return straight back to the Championship, not least when they were on an 11-game winless run going into the end of April.

But Awoniyi’s hot streak, with five goals in three games, helped Steve Cooper’s side lift themselves out of the bottom three and they can no longer be caught by Southampton, Leicester or Everton.

It completes an impressive job by Cooper, who repaid Forest for the faith they showed when backing him amid their poor run, and his stock continues to rise.

Asked how he felt, the Welshman said: “Just pride, a great sense of belonging at being part of something really special and important for me.

“A brilliant day for the players and an equally great day for the supporters and one we deserved. It is difficult to use the word achievement at this football club because you have to be careful but it is just amazing to be able to allow the club to move forward, that’s what we all want to do.

“Now is the time to talk about the players, the supporters and the game. It is a real sense of belonging and being part of something greater than any one person.

“This was always going to be my toughest coaching challenge, but an enjoyable one, not a negative one. We have had everything this year, both positive and negative.

“It feels great, but I am more thinking about it just allows us to progress.”

Manchester City became Premier League champions after Arsenal lost 1-0 at Nottingham Forest, who secured their top-flight status in style.

The Gunners, who were insatiable for most of the campaign, had spent 248 days on top of the table and held an eight-point lead over City in March, but an alarming slide saw them overtaken by Pep Guardiola’s relentless juggernaut.

And Taiwo Awoniyi’s first-half goal for Forest at a raucous City Ground ensured Guardiola’s side will lift the title for a fifth time in six seasons with three games to spare.

City’s champagne has been on ice for a couple of weeks as the Gunners, who also wilted badly at the end of last campaign, have won just two of their last eight Premier League games. However, they are confirmed runners-up going into their final game of the season next week.

For Forest, this was a real red letter day as they secured their survival against the odds.

For large parts of the season, which began with more than 20 new signings, they looked destined to return straight back to the Championship, not least when they were on an 11-game winless run going into the end of April.

But Awoniyi’s hot streak, with five goals in three games, helped Steve Cooper’s side lift themselves out of the bottom three and they can no longer be caught by Southampton, Leicester or Everton.

It completes an impressive job by Cooper, who repaid Forest for the faith they showed when backing him amid their poor run, and his stock continues to rise.

Everton’s draw at Wolves earlier in the day meant Forest came into the game knowing a win would guarantee their safety.

And backed by a vociferous home crowd, desperate to see their side secure survival at the place where they have won so many of their points this season, they made a strong start as Arsenal’s defence survived some early pressure.

The Gunners began to assert some level of control and Gabriel Jesus was denied by Forest goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who came out quickly to smother the ball, while the Brazilian nodded over at the far post.

But the City Ground exploded in the 19th minute as Forest punished their visitors with a lightning counter-attack.

Martin Odegaard loosely passed straight to Morgan Gibbs-White who surged forward at pace before feeding Awoniyi, who enjoyed a bit of fortune as Gabriel’s challenge bobbled against his leg and he scuffed past Aaron Ramsdale.

Arsenal had plenty of possession but lacked the creativity and guile to break Forest down in the first half, with Leandro Trossard and Jesus sending efforts tamely off target.

Forest vitally ensured they took their lead into the interval and could have doubled it soon after the restart.

After recycling a free-kick, Renan Lodi’s ball back in found Felipe and his shot from close range was blocked.

It was more of the same for the Gunners, who had plenty of the ball but did little with it. Bukayo Saka did have a moment of promise when he was played in but he fired straight at Navas.

Instead it was Forest who were pushing for a second and Gibbs-White squandered a good chance when he found the side-netting after taking advantage of Ben White’s slip, before Lodi drilled wide.

As the game entered the final 15 minutes with the holy grail of survival in touching distance, Forest began to sit deep and invite pressure on themselves.

It is unsurprising that nerves were so fraught as no side have conceded more goals in the final 15 minutes of matches than Forest’s 17 and every tackle, block and clearance was greeted with cheers as loud as a goal.

Gibbs-White fired straight at Ramsdale as Forest looked to make it a less tense ending for them, but Arsenal’s poor attacking display meant they were able to hold on to spark mass scenes of celebration.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has insisted discussions over the future of Granit Xhaka will wait until the end of the season.

Xhaka has been central to the Gunners’ title bid this campaign but is approaching the final 12 months of his deal at the Emirates Stadium.

Bayer Leverkusen are interested in taking the Switzerland international back to Germany, where the midfielder played for four years with Borussia Monchengladbach before he moved to England in 2016.

It has been a rollercoaster journey for Xhaka at Arsenal but his manager is eager to finish strongly in the final two games before he switches his attention to a number of contract scenarios.

Arteta said: “The clarity is there. He is a player that has played I think every minute since I have been the manager.

“He is an incredibly respected figure at the club. He has a great story around him with what he has achieved at the club in going through very tough moments and he is a key and very important part of us.

“Whatever happens is something we will discuss, certainly not now.”

Second-placed Arsenal have faced some criticism this week after their 3-0 defeat at home to Brighton left Manchester City on the brink of a fifth Premier League victory in six years.

Pep Guardiola’s side can defend their crown this weekend if the Gunners lose at Nottingham Forest on Saturday or if City can beat Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium a day later.

Arteta, in a thinly-veiled dig at their detractors, stated they have been up against one of the best teams ever.

“We have shown this season,” Arteta replied when asked if Arsenal can be title contenders again next season.

“We’re still there, with two games to go we can still be champions against probably the best team in Premier League history.

“For 10 months we’re still there. There’s two games still to go and we’re not going to bottle that for sure.

“What happens next season will depend on what we do, how we evolve and how we start. That prediction is very difficult to do today.”

Quizzed on the level of the squad, with Champions League football to come next term, Arteta conceded improvements will need to be made before Arsenal return to Europe’s top competition.

“At the level that we want? No. We didn’t have the capacity to do that as well with the Europa League so it’s part of that evolution,” he explained.

“We have made a lot of good steps and strong steps in that journey and we have to continue. That never ends.

“We want to be better and the rest will be better, then the margins will be higher and we have to start to live with those standards and improve and be smarter.”

Arsenal received positive news on Thursday when Aaron Ramsdale agreed a new long-term deal with the club.

It will keep Ramsdale contracted to the Gunners until the summer of 2026, the PA news agency understands.

Arteta is confident the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and William Saliba will follow.

He added: “Delighted with the news for Aaron. He fully deserves that new contract, that extension and we want to keep our talent at the club and we want to build on that.

“There are a few more who are very relevant for us to continue with that relationship. We’re working on that.

“We are trying (with Saliba). We are having conversations and we are trying to maintain the talent we have at the club as I said before, but things take time.

“You have to agree it. There are different parties involved. I think everybody’s intention is the same and hopefully we’ll find the right solution.”

Meanwhile, Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf) and Gabriel Martinelli (ankle) will not feature again this season.

“Gabi’s is a pretty nasty injury, we need to assess in the next week how long he’ll be out for,” Arteta said.

Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has signed a new contract with the club.

The England international has established himself as a key figure at the Emirates since he joined from Sheffield United in 2021.

Ramsdale’s previous terms were due to expire in 2025 and this new deal is set to run until 2026 with Arsenal holding the option to extend it by a further year, the PA news agency understands.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: “We’re all so happy that Aaron has signed a new contract.

“The way Aaron has developed over the past two years has been exceptional, with his performances, contribution and overall adaptation to the club.

“It’s great that we’re continuing to build our future with our biggest talents in our young squad. We’re all looking forward to enjoying many more years of Aaron the player and the person at the football club.”

Ramsdale has made 39 appearances for Arsenal this season and kept 15 clean sheets in all competitions.

Sporting Director Edu added: “It’s great that we’ve agreed and completed a new contract with Aaron.

“We have enjoyed so many positive moments from Aaron’s performances in his two years with us and are looking forward to many more.

“We must also remember that Aaron is still very young, so there is still a lot more to come from him, as we continue to build with our young foundations.”

David Seaman hailed “amazing” Mikel Arteta for Arsenal’s transformation which has seen them rival Manchester City at the top of the Premier League this season.

The Gunners will play in the Champions League next year for the first time since 2016-17 after an impressive campaign which saw them lead the title race until recent weeks.

And the former Arsenal and England goalkeeper commended the Spanish manager for his impact, despite it being his first managerial role, as he called for his former side to take further steps towards their long-term ambitions of silverware next season.

“It’s his first job, he’s doing an amazing job and it’s a massive job but he’s making it work,” Seaman told the PA news agency.

“It’s all down to Arteta, the way he’s got the lads playing, believing, the demands he makes on them, that’s what ends up being put out on the pitch.

“The process that Arteta goes on about is now really showing through. Even before when he was talking about the process when he first got there, people were questioning that because the performances were not the best but I see what Mikel does on the training field and I see the enthusiasm and his amazing coaching.

“Arsenal will judge him on his Champions League performances but I’m hoping for silverware, that’s the ultimate game, that’s where the club needs to be, back into the frame of winning silverware.”

Arteta joined Arsenal in 2019 and led the club to FA Cup glory in 2020, before masterminding consistent improvement in their league positions over the last three seasons – they finished eighth in 2020-21, fifth the following season and are currently second.

Seaman believes the hard-working culture Arteta has instilled is behind the improved performances his young squad have produced this season.

The 59-year-old who will also be goalkeeper coach for the England team in this year’s Soccer Aid, added: “He’s doing his first job really well and he’s getting the best out of the team, his coaching team and all the people at the training ground, they all totally respect him.

“Not only is he a great manager, he’s a gent as well, he’s a great bloke. I know I’m waxing lyrical about him but he’s a nice guy and everybody around the training ground knows that and they all want to do the best for him.

Arsenal’s form dwindled in recent months, they have lost top spot to treble-chasing Manchester City as a result of just two wins in seven matches.

Although the Gunners’ chances of winning their first league title since 2004 have faded, their former goalkeeper is delighted with his former side’s development this year.

He said: “I’m massively proud (of Arsenal), second in the Premier League is another huge improvement on the last few seasons and we’ve got to take that into next season.”

Seaman, who won three league championships, four FA Cups, the League Cup and the European Cup Winners’ Cup during his 13-year career with the club, added: “Arsenal can now contend, it’s been a long time since they’ve been able to do that.”

::Tickets for Soccer Aid For UNICEF on Sunday, June 11 at Old Trafford, are on sale via www.socceraid.org.uk/tickets, with a family of four able to attend for just £60 — two adults and two children.

Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun has switched allegiance from England to the United States, FIFA has confirmed.

The New York-born 21-year-old, who is currently on loan at French club Reims, has represented England at Under-21s level but has opted to play his senior international football for the country of his birth.

A FIFA spokesperson told the PA news agency said: “The change of association of the player Folarin Jolaoluwa Balogun from England to the USA has been approved.”

The news comes just weeks before England are due to launch their European Under-21 Championship finals campaign in Georgia and Romania.

Balogun has made 13 appearances for Lee Carsley’s side, but withdrew from the squad in March due to injury.

Having been born in America, Balogun moved to England when he was two years old and also qualifies for Nigeria through his parents.

Qualifying players are allowed to switch associations before they have played a competitive match for a nation’s senior team.

Balogun has made 10 first-team appearances and scored two goals for the Gunners, and spent the second half of the 2021-22 season on loan at Sky Bet Championship Middlesbrough.

However, he has made a name for himself in Ligue 1 this season with 19 goals in 34 appearances to date.

Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from May 15.

Football

Gary Neville analysed Arsenal’s slump.

Millie Bright updated her profile pic to celebrate Chelsea winning the FA Cup for a third season in a row.

Australia international Alanna Kennedy celebrated signing a new contract at Manchester City.

Tennis

Birthday boy Andy Murray wants the cake he feels he deserves.

Formula One

Max Verstappen made history on this day in 2016.

Golf

Howdy! Jason Day is a PGA Tour winner again after victory in Texas.

Lee Westwood is planning to rest up after being forced to withdraw from the final round of the LIV golf event in Tulsa.

Viktor Hovland took in the Niagara Falls ahead of this week’s US PGA Championship.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard admits they must learn from Sunday’s crushing 3-0 defeat at home to Brighton.

The Gunners’ faint title hopes went up in smoke after second-half goals from Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan earned the visitors a stunning victory at the Emirates.

Premier League leaders Manchester City now need only one more win from their final three games to clinch the title but they could be crowned champions without playing if Arsenal lose at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

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City won 3-0 at Everton before the Gunners’ clash with Brighton and despite a strong first-half showing, Mikel Arteta’s side folded with the Seagulls going in front in the 51st minute through Enciso before they picked off the hosts with late goals from Undav and Estupinan.

Asked if mentality was an issue, Odegaard insisted: “No, I don’t think so.

“I felt like we were good going into the game but yeah, in the game, it was a different story.

“We have to accept that and learn from it.

“In the first half we did a lot of good things and we had some moments where we could create some big chances and maybe score a goal or two.

“Then in the second half we gave them more and more momentum. They are dangerous when they go direct and especially on our right side, they attacked us there a bit too easy in behind but it is hard to say at the moment. A lot of things we could do better.”

While Arsenal boss Arteta did not admit defeat in the title race, Odegaard conceded their hopes were probably over.

City’s success at Goodison Park made it 11 Premier League wins in a row and the championship is expected to be decided this coming weekend.

Odegaard told Sky Sports: “Yeah, it feels like that (the title is over). I think it is going to be very difficult now. We have to be honest, so it is tough to take.

“It is not a good feeling at the moment. The way we played, especially in the second half, I don’t know what happened to be honest but big, big disappointment.

“Yeah, it feels like there is no hope now.”

Brighton produced a scintillating second-half display to get their unlikely top-four charge back on track after they had suffered a surprise 5-1 home defeat to Everton last Monday.

Roberto De Zerbi wheeled off down the touchline after Undaz’s 86th-minute lob before he dropped to his knees in celebration after Estupinan wrapped up the scoring.

The Italian played down comparisons with Jose Mourinho, who did similar during his time at Porto in a match against Manchester United in 2004, but admitted the sky is the limit for him and his team.

“Jose Mourinho is a great manager but I have this character, this passion,” De Zerbi stated.

“I don’t know (about the future). I am focused only on qualifying for Europe now.

“In my future I want to dream because I am used to giving everything in my work. I live for my work and I want to dream. I want to reach the impossible target always.

“Now with Brighton. Before with Shakhtar, before with Sassuolo. When I work in football, I want to fix the target very high and if I lose, I lose and we start stronger.”

De Zerbi did remain coy over the absence of Robert Sanchez, who had been his first-choice goalkeeper up until February.

“We spoke two days ago and we found an agreement that today he is not going to come here,” De Zerbi explained.

“He knew he was not going to play so we found an agreement.”

A frustrated Mikel Arteta apologised to the Arsenal supporters after a crushing 3-0 loss at home to Brighton all but ended their Premier League title hopes.

Second-half goals from Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan earned the Seagulls a deserved victory at the Emirates that means Manchester City need one more win from their final three games to defend their crown.

City could be champions on Saturday night if Arsenal lose at Nottingham Forest with the gap between the top two now four points, and Pep Guardiola’s side holding a game in hand on the Gunners, who have failed to win five of their last seven matches.

“A really different feeling to the feeling that we all had last Sunday (at Newcastle) when we felt proud and we felt that we really did what we needed to win in certain moments. Today is completely the opposite,” Arteta admitted.

“We have to apologise to our people, especially for the second half.

“What I have to accept first is what happened in the second half and digest it.

“After that until it’s mathematically over… the second position is secure. That’s not going to change. We have to digest and that will take a few days.

“At the moment it’s just frustration. The feeling that we gave the game away in the second half. We fought really hard to be in the position that we are in and today we were in a critical moment to keeping hoping and digging for that dream.

“When you have to play in these moments you cannot do what we did in the second half.

“Then we have to look. If a team is capable of doing that when it comes to the biggest stage, there’s a lot of things to analyse and think about because it cannot happen.”

Manchester City’s 3-0 victory at Everton earlier in the day had ramped up the pressure on Arsenal but they started strongly despite losing Gabriel Martinelli to an ankle injury after 19 minutes.

Gabriel Jesus tested Jason Steele midway through the opening 45 and Leandro Trossard clipped the crossbar with a swerving effort before Bukayo Saka dragged an effort wide from 14 yards at the end of a stop-start half.

Brighton punished Arsenal’s profligacy straight after half-time when Estupinan followed up his blocked cross with a scuffed centre that Enciso headed home for his third goal of the season.

Arteta made a raft of changes after but the visitors stayed in control and picked off the hosts with Undav able to lob Aaron Ramsdale in the 86th minute before Estupinan grabbed a deserved goal with a close-range finish in stoppage-time.

A reflective Arteta added: “Obviously what the team has done over the last 10 months is very different to what anybody expected and that generates a lot of expectation as well enthusiasm, happiness and joy.

“That’s something that has to be managed in the right way and after we have the responsibility to make sure the team performs and I am responsible for that.

“So, I hate the feeling of letting people down when they are expecting something. That’s the biggest regret I have today and I have to apologise for that.”

It was a different set of emotions for Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, who laughed off comparisons with Jose Mourinho after he wheeled off down the touchline to celebrate Undav’s goal.

He did insist, however, that nothing had been achieved by his sixth-placed side.

“Yes I am very delighted for the performances. I think we deserved to win but then really happy, really proud because the last five days were very difficult after the defeat on Monday (against Everton),” De Zerbi stated.

“We have 58 points and not enough to qualify for Europe.

“We have another four games, tough games, Newcastle, Southampton, City and last game Aston Villa and we have to fight to deserve to qualify because 58 points is not enough to play Thursdays next year.”

Ilkay Gundogan helped himself to a superb double as Manchester City edged closer to a fifth Premier League title in six seasons with a 3-0 win at Everton.

As a result of their victory on Merseyside and Arsenal’s 3-0 home defeat by Brighton, a maximum of three more points from their remaining three matches, the first of them at home to Chelsea next Sunday, will secure the trophy once again.

Indeed, Pep Guardiola’s men could be crowned champions on Saturday evening should the Gunners lose at Nottingham Forest, and even a draw at the City Ground would effectively end the race as a result of City’s superior goal difference after a straightforward afternoon at Goodison Park.

Gundogan took his tally to four in two matches with an expertly-executed over-the-shoulder volley and an exquisite curling free-kick.

In between, Erling Haaland scored his almost mandatory goal to make it 52 for the season, with former Everton centre-forward Dixie Dean’s record of 63 still realistically within his reach.

Arsenal, however, could not follow suit in a game boss Mikel Arteta admitted before kick-off was a must-win affair as second-half goals by Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan earned Brighton a stunning win at the Emirates Stadium.

After a keenly-contested first half, Arsenal fell behind to Enciso’s 51st-minute header and, as they desperately sought a way back into the game, the hosts were picked off by Undav and then Estupinan in a devastating display by the visitors, who are themselves on the brink of qualifying for Europe for the first time.

Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa ensured West Ham are still not mathematically assured of their place in next season’s top flight after Brentford eased to a 2-0 victory.

David Moyes made nine changes ahead of Thursday night’s Europa Conference League semi-final second leg against AZ Alkmaar but saw his side come up short against a Bees line-up deprived of the services of 20-goal striker Ivan Toney by injury, with Mbeumo and Wissa both scoring before half-time.

Danny Ings thought he had reduced the deficit after the break, but his tap-in was controversially disallowed for handball by Divin Mubama following a VAR review.

Brighton handed Manchester City the chance to clinch the Premier League title next weekend as the latest round of fixtures yielded a potentially decisive twist.

The Seagulls’ breath-taking victory at Arsenal left City four points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand, meaning they can clinch the trophy for a fifth time with a home win over struggling Chelsea next Sunday.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at an eventful weekend which also saw Southampton slip out of the top flight.

Seagulls soaring

Brighton’s remarkable 3-0 win at the Emirates Stadium may have been celebrated in the blue half of Manchester, but certainly not the red, nor on Tyneside or Merseyside. The Seagulls not only dented the Gunners’ title hopes, but dragged themselves back on to the fringes of the hunt for Champions League qualification with the perfect response to Monday’s shock 5-1 drubbing by Everton, edging to within four points of the Reds and eight of United and the Magpies with a game in hand on all three.

Top Gun

If Manchester City do go on to clinch the title, they will have done so with a significant helping hand from skipper Ilkay Gundogan. The 32-year-old Germany international’s double secured a 2-1 win over Leeds last weekend – and it might have been better had he converted a penalty gifted to him by Erling Haaland – and he repeated the feat in sublime style in Sunday’s 3-0 victory at Everton to further underline his importance to Pep Guardiola.

A spot of bother

Should renowned firefighter Sam Allardyce fail in his mission to drag Leeds to safety, he and his players will inevitably lose sleep over an eventful afternoon at Elland Road when Newcastle came to call. Already leading through Luke Ayling’s early strike, the home side passed up a glorious opportunity to extend their advantage when Nick Pope saved Patrick Bamford’s penalty, and their afternoon might have ended in defeat after Magpies frontman Callum Wilson showed him how to do it from the spot not once, but twice before Rasmus Kristensen’s late equaliser snatched a 2-2 draw.

Eze does it

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Crystal Palace’s reliance on Wilfried Zaha in recent seasons has piled huge weight on the Ivory Coast international’s shoulders, but in Eberechi Eze, they appear to have found someone to share the burden. The 24-year-old scored both goals in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Bournemouth, the first with an assured finish after Jordan Ayew had flicked on Zaha’s cross, and the second a stunning solo effort, to take his tally to six in his last seven appearances.

That sinking feeling

If further proof were needed that changing manager twice during a Premier League season is not necessarily a good idea, it was provided on Saturday when Southampton slipped out of the top flight with barely a whimper after a 2-0 home defeat by Fulham. Between them, Ralph Hasenhuttl, Nathan Jones and Ruben Selles have managed to win only six of the 36 league games the Saints have played to date and collected just 24 points.

Arsenal’s fading Premier League titles hopes are all but over after second-half goals by Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan earned Brighton a stunning 3-0 win at the Emirates.

The result means Manchester City only need one more victory from their final three games to defend their crown and they could be confirmed as champions as early as Saturday night if Mikel Arteta’s side lose at Nottingham Forest.

Arteta admitted pre-match it was must-win for Arsenal but they tasted defeat after a promising first-half showing thanks to Enciso’s 51st-minute header and late efforts by Undav and Estupinan.

It keeps alive the faint top-four hopes of Roberto De Zerbi’s team, who claimed another scalp in their outstanding season to move up to sixth with games in hand on Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle.

Any hope Arsenal had of Manchester City dropping points at Goodison Park was dispelled even before Arteta had named his starting line-up with their title rivals 3-0 up after 51 minutes.

It failed to dampen the atmosphere at the Emirates but visiting Brighton were not in London to make up the numbers and had European football ambitions to get back on track following a shock home loss to Everton on Monday.

The opening exchanges were affected by stoppages but referee Andrew Madley seemed keen to keep his cards in his pockets with Gabriel Martinelli and Moises Caicedo lucky to avoid punishment for poor challenges.

Caicedo, who saw a move to Arsenal fall through in January, in a less-familiar right-back role caught Martinelli after seven minutes and it eventually forced the Brazilian off with only 19 minutes played.

Enciso had tested Aaron Ramsdale with a firm near-post effort by this point and Martin Odegaard had sent a low strike wide but the contest had failed to get going following a stop-start opening.

Arsenal slowly got into their groove and Jason Steele had to kick away a Gabriel Jesus shot from a narrow angle before substitute Leandro Trossard went close against his old club.

Trossard, a replacement for Martinelli, was booed by the away fans and nearly gained payback after half an hour when Odegaard and Granit Xhaka exchanged passes to find the Belgian, but his swerving effort clipped the top of the crossbar from 16 yards.

Brighton improved after that let-off and Enciso should have done better when Kaoru Mitoma skinned Ben White and teed up the Paraguayan, but he scooped over on the turn.

Teenage forward Evan Ferguson also fired wide soon after for the Seagulls before Bukayo Saka dragged a shot off target from a promising position inside the area in first-half stoppage-time to ensure it remained goalless at the break.

It only took six minutes of the second half for Arsenal’s profligacy to be punished.

Mitoma found the overlapping Estupinan, who had not been tracked by Saka, on the left but after his first delivery had been half-cleared, his scuffed follow-up cross found its way to Enciso, who headed home.

Enciso was only unmarked because Arsenal centre-back Jakub Kiwior was in a heap on the floor after he twisted his ankle after Estupinan’s first centre but Brighton nor Manchester City cared one bit.

Kiwior was fine to carry on but Arteta had seen enough and introduced Thomas Partey and Reiss Nelson on the hour mark.

Substitute Nelson immediately made an impression with a low shot flashed wide and yet emotions were starting to spill over at the Emirates.

Arteta received a booking and while Trossard fired straight at Steele minutes later, Brighton remained in control and the Arsenal boss made his final roll of the dice with 13 minutes left.

Jesus and Odegaard made way for Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe while De Zerbi introduced Facundo Buonanotte for Brighton.

And with four minutes left it was good night to Arsenal’s title challenge when Trossard’s intended flicked pass hit Pascal Gross and ricocheted into the path of Undav, who lobbed over Ramsdale.

De Zerbi sprinted down the touchline to celebrate and was at it again deep into stoppage-time when Estupinan capped a fine display with a first Brighton goal after he fired home on the rebound when Ramsdale spilled Undav’s effort.

Arsenal will play five Women’s Super League games at the Emirates Stadium next season and are committed to hosting all Champions League fixtures there should they qualify for the group stage.

Jonas Eidevall’s side have played three WSL fixtures at the stadium this season, setting a new league attendance record when they beat neighbours Tottenham 4-0 before selling over 86,000 tickets across matches against Manchester United and Chelsea.

Five of their Women’s Champions League games were also staged at the Emirates, including the semi-final second-leg sell-out against Wolfsburg, which saw the German side win in extra-time.

Arsenal are in a tussle to qualify for next season’s Champions League but, if they do progress, every fixture from the group stage onwards will be hosted in N5 rather than at Meadow Park.

The successes of this season have built on a groundswell of support for women’s football following on from England’s Women’s Euro victory last summer.

Now, Arsenal are keen to continue the trend of hosting more games at the Emirates, with Eidevall saying recently he believes it would be possible to host all women’s fixtures there at some point in the future.

“We’re delighted to confirm that our women’s first team will play five WSL games at Emirates Stadium next season,” Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham said when the announcement was made on Wednesday morning.

“We’ve received fantastic support at Emirates Stadium this year, setting a new record attendance in the WSL and achieving a memorable sell-out for our recent UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final against Wolfsburg earlier this month.

“This latest announcement ensures that as many supporters as possible can enjoy the matchday experience with us, as we continue to support the sustainable growth of women’s football.”

Arsenal midfielder Jorginho has praised his team-mates for mixing it with Newcastle to keep their Premier League title hopes alive.

The Gunners blended a streetwise tenacity with moments of quality to secure a 2-0 victory which avenged a damaging defeat by the same score at St James’ Park last season.

In the process they dragged themselves back to within a point of leaders Manchester City and while Pep Guardiola’s side have a game in hand, the Gunners came through unscathed from what appeared to be their toughest remaining fixture.

Jorginho told the club’s official website: “It’s a massive win. We knew it was a tough game, to come here and win the way we did.

“There are some times you know you have to fight a lot to get the three points, and I’m just so proud of the team the way we did, the way we fought until the end, the way we pushed. It’s just so nice.

“We knew it was going to be tough and it was just realising that sometimes you can’t play just beautiful football.

“Sometimes you need to adapt and that’s why I am saying that I’m really proud of the team, because when you realise that and you adapt and you do what maybe everyone doesn’t expect you to do, it’s just really, really good for our team.”

Having been frustrated by Newcastle’s game-management in the reverse fixture, a 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium in January, Arsenal arrived in the north-east determined to serve up a dose of their own medicine to Eddie Howe’s men.

They were fortunate to emerge unscathed from a testing start during which Jacob Murphy hit a post and the Magpies saw a penalty for handball awarded and then rescinded by referee Chris Kavanagh after Bruno Guimaraes’ goal-bound shot had been blocked by Jakub Kiwior.

However, the Gunners took a 14th-minute lead through the excellent Martin Odegaard before they withstood an onslaught during which goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and the woodwork kept the home side at bay.

And they cemented the win 19 minutes from time when Gabriel Martinelli’s driven cross flew off Fabian Schar into his own net.

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta said: “When you have question marks, you have to resolve those question marks, it’s the only way.

“And when you had the emotions that we had last year in that dressing room, you have to make sure you feel them again to realise how difficult, how nasty and how unpleasant they are.

“Then you have to find a way to approach the game in a different way because demands were going to be different from last year. The boys did that extremely well so I’m really proud of them.”

For Newcastle boss Howe, who had seen his Champions League-chasing side win eight of their previous nine games to sit third in the table, the task is to re-group for a testing trip to struggling Leeds on Saturday with Liverpool closing fast.

Howe said: “It can be a really memorable season for us. It’s in our hands. If anyone had said at the start of the season we could be in this position, you would definitely have wanted to be in our position.

“But getting over the line will probably be the hardest thing we have to do. That’s the challenge in front of us.”