Arsenal's hopes of winning the Premier League title suffered a major blow as they were beaten 3-0 at home by Brighton on Sunday.
The Gunners had led the way in the table for much of the season, but they have now slipped four points behind Manchester City, who have a game in hand.
Brighton were the better side for most of the game and they deserved their victory. They took the lead in the 51st minute through Julio Enciso and they doubled their advantage in the 86th minute through Deniz Undav. Pervis Estupinan added a third in stoppage time.
Arsenal struggled to create any clear-cut chances and they were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal.
The defeat is a major setback for Arsenal's title hopes and it will be very difficult for them to catch Manchester City now.
What went wrong for Arsenal?
There were a number of factors that contributed to Arsenal's defeat.
First, they were not clinical enough in front of goal. They had a number of chances to score, but they failed to take them.
Second, they were not good enough defensively. Brighton were able to create a number of chances and they took their opportunities.
Third, they were not at their best in terms of their energy and intensity. They looked tired and they were not able to match Brighton's work rate.
What does the future hold for Arsenal?
The defeat to Brighton is a major setback for Arsenal's title hopes. It will be very difficult for them to catch Manchester City now.
However, they still have two games left to play and they can still finish in the top four. They will need to win both of their remaining games and hope that Manchester City slip up.
Arsenal will also need to address the issues that led to their defeat to Brighton. They need to be more clinical in front of goal and they need to improve their defensive organization.
If they can do those things, then they will still have a chance of finishing the season on a positive note.
