Arsenal 1 Burnley 0: Havertz puts leaders on brink of first title in 22 years

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Kai Havertz’s header — from a corner, inevitably — earned Arsenal the victory they needed against Burnley. Art de Roche and Oliver Kay analyse the key talking points from Emirates Stadium. The anticipation before kick-off was palpable at the Emirates, with the Arsenal team greeted by thousands of supporters on their arrival at the stadium, and boy did they step up. Burnley made it clear early on that they would not roll over and allow this to be a procession for Arteta’s side, but his players recognised the moment they were in as the first half progressed. While there was initial disappointment after missed chances from the players and fans, no one in red and white inside the stadium let their heads drop for too long. The interchanges between Eberechi Eze and Martin Odegaard gave initial cause for encouragement as Arsenal began to turn the screw, before Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka started combining. Saka looked unlucky not to win a penalty when Havertz rolled the ball across the six-yard box, but his corner minutes later showed the intent of the team. His delivery was spot on, and while Arsenal had been piling on the pressure in open play, it was fitting this goal helped them equal yet another Premier League record for goals from corners. 19 – Arsenal have scored a set piece goal (excl. pens) in 19 different Premier League games this season, a joint record by a team in a 38-game season. Methodology. pic.twitter.com/daAuA375d1 — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 18, 2026 Sloppy moments from Eze and Cristhian Mosquera early in the second half provided a reminder that focus cannot be lost for a second at this stage of the season. While these moments, and the wait for a second goal, did create some nervousness in the ground, Arsenal rose well to the pressure moments in the first half. Had they gone into half-time at 0-0, there would have been a very different energy around the ground, but their attack-minded players seized the moment to keep them in control of the title race’s final chapter. Arteta has not been shy when it comes to making big calls lately, and he was going to make a few whatever his starting line-up was against Burnley. Would he keep an in-form team unchanged, bar Mosquera replacing the injured Ben White, or would he shuffle the pack more? His decision to do the latter paid off in the main, but could have very nearly stung him, with Havertz scoring the opener and then escaping a red card for a challenge on Lesley Ugochukwu. Arteta starting the German international made sense tactically, as Burnley sitting back would not have given Viktor Gyokeres much space to exploit. While Havertz was not a presence in the box, his runs into the channels helped Arsenal become more threatening just before he opened the scoring with what would have been one of the simpler headers of his career. The 26-year-old was lucky to stay on the pitch, however, during the second half. His challenge on Ugochukwu appeared late and reckless in real time, and only more so after the replay. Just like the penalty shout on Saka in the first half, it did not seem like the right decision was made, which allowed Arteta to bring Havertz off soon after. Gyokeres, who was unlucky to be benched, acquitted himself well when he came on. The Sweden international chased after loose balls to help put Arsenal on the front foot, and almost won a penalty himself. As the match drew to a close, the biggest cheer of the second half came from him simply shielding the ball out of play for an Arsenal throw-in — an aspect of his play that has improved greatly in recent weeks. Who starts up front on the final-day trip to Palace is not a straightforward choice now, but for Arteta, that is probably just how he likes it. For 38 minutes, Burnley held firm and perhaps, with half-time approaching, any Manchester City players watching might have dared to imagine an unexpected twist in the title race. That Havertz goal didn’t do much to ease Arsenal’s nerves, but ultimately it took them to within touching distance of their first league title in a generation. One more win, at Crystal Palace on Sunday, will confirm them as champions. Manchester City need to win their two remaining games and hope for an Arsenal slip-up. Arsenal could even be confirmed as champions on Tuesday evening if City drop points at Bournemouth. If anything, the nature of this victory underlined why it is dangerous to take anything for granted in the final days of this Premier League campaign. If Burnley, already relegated, can make life as difficult as this for Arsenal, then so can Palace — and certainly Bournemouth can make life difficult for City on Tuesday. One thing that was settled by this match was that, if this title race comes down to goal difference, it will not be in Arsenal’s favour. The only way they can now end up level on points is for Arsenal to draw at Palace and City to win their final two games. That would result in City improving their goal difference by at least two, taking them beyond Arsenal’s total of +43. Arteta, his players and their supporters will hope — and perhaps now finally believe — it will not come down to that. Sunday, May 24: Crystal Palace (Away), Premier League, 4pm UK, 11am ET Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms