Tottenham draw hands Arsenal gigantic top four boost

Arsenal produced a valiant performance against Manchester United on Saturday to keep their top four ambitions very much alive. A helping hand elsewhere would’ve rounded off a perfect weekend. They got it. Thank you, Brentford.

Nuno Tavares’ goal inside three minutes set the Gunners on their way to a perfect opening, one they added to shortly after the half hour mark when Bukayo Saka was felled in the box and converted the resulting penalty.

They were pegged back by Cristiano Ronaldo when some sloppy defending allowed the 37-year-old to finish beyond a hapless Aaron Ramsdale. Having been in a position of relative comfort, Mikel Arteta’s side seemed to be trying their best to throw the points away.

A second half performance littered with defensive mistakes risked their two goal lead being blown, and when Nuno inexplicably handled in the penalty box the opportunity arose for Bruno Fernandes to level matters.

Brentford 0-0 Tottenham: Premier League draw hands Arsenal gigantic top four boost as they aim for Champions League return

With a hop and a skip, he missed. Brushing his tame penalty off the outside of the post, Arsenal were handed a major lifeline. It was a backs against the wall display where a combination of Ramsdale, poor officiating and a lick of paint spared the Gunners’ blushes.

Then, against the run of play, Granit Xhaka turned up with a clutch moment when he thundered an effort beyond David de Gea to restore the two-goal advantage. Arsenal would hold on with relative comfort. Irrespective of the performance, the result is what mattered most. It’s all they could do. Control their own destiny.

Which handed the reins over to the other side of north London, who just so happened to be west of the capital. Arsenal already know that if they win their remaining five matches that they will be playing Champions League football next season. It’s as simple as that.

Of course, doing so is an almost impossible task. Points will be dropped at some stage, with the three games prior to the Chelsea win demonstrating the unpredictability of this division.

But what about Spurs? Their position is even stronger. They have the goal difference advantage, the easier run-in, and when the North London Derby comes around it is them who will play hosts. Slip-ups are expected from them, too.

Saturday proved to be the first.

An outstanding Brentford display, one where they spurned numerous chances to take the lead, saw the Bees record a most glorious 0-0 draw. With five matches left to play, and Tottenham still needing to go to Anfield, the ball is in Arsenal’s court. They played first, they laid on the pressure, and now they have a two-point breathing space between themselves and Spurs.

Tottenham were atrocious again. Two games in succession without a shot on target.

This team believes. The fans believe. For the first time in a while, it’s theirs to lose. One game at a time, one win at a time, and the Premier League top four is Arsenal’s.

It’s now or never. Come on you Arsenal.