Arsenal seize control as Man City slip, Chelsea thrash Villa

BRIGHTON, England, March 4 : Arsenal seized control of the Premier League title race as Bukayo Saka's goal secured a priceless 1-0 win at Brighton and Hove Albion and Manchester City could only draw 2-2 at home to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.

Mikel Arteta's side went into their south coast assignment leading the table but looking over their shoulders at City, but ended the night with a first title since 2004 glinting on the horizon after a big swing in their favour.

Saka's deflected effort in the ninth minute proved sufficient as Arsenal kept a 14th Premier League clean sheet of the season with a gritty display that Saka described as 'ugly'.

Wasteful City twice led with goals by Antoine Semenyo and Rodri but both times Forest hit back, first through Morgan Gibbs-White's crafty backheel and then in the 76th minute through Elliot Anderson's low drive.

City bombarded Forest's area in the closing stages and almost scored with the last kick of the game but Savinho's effort was cleared off the line by Murillo.

Arsenal have 67 points from 30 games to City's 60 from 29 and are now firmly in the driving seat again, although they do still have to go to City on April 19.

"It's a really difficult place to come and win. Every team that comes here suffers but we did what we had to do to win," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said.

"We're coming back from very difficult games with a lot of intensity, with players really going through the line in every game with difficulties, not able to train and to come here and get the result that we got, it's remarkable."

MAN CITY DEFLATED

City dominated Forest and should have been celebrating a fifth successive league win but they looked deflated at the final whistle as two points