Mikel Arteta endured Roberto de Zerbi doing a Jose Mourinho as Brighton finally crushed Arsenal ’s lingering title dream.
Second-half goals from Julio Enciso, substitute Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinian broke north London hearts and sent Brighton boss De Zerbi racing down the Emirates touchline.
Arsenal’s defeat means City will retain the title with a victory over Chelsea next Sunday. Arteta apologised for his side’s collapse and said: “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.
“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. We have the responsibility to make sure the team performs and I am responsible for that.”
Pep Guardiola’s men could even win the title without kicking a ball if Arsenal lose to Forest next Saturday.
Arteta went on: “At the moment the emotion is just frustration. The feeling that we gave the game away in the second half. We fought really hard to be in the position we are in. We were in a critical moment to keep hoping and digging for that dream.
“In those moments you cannot do what we did in the second half.”
To make matters worse for Arteta, forward Gabriel Martinelli had to be substituted just 20 minutes in after a foul by Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo.
Arteta added: “He’s in a boot at the moment. We need to scan him and see the extent of that injury.”
Brighton are up to sixth, four points behind fifth-placed Liverpool with a game in hand.
Asked about his knee slide, which Mourinho did after beating Manchester United with Porto in 2004, De Zerbi said: “Mourinho is a great manager but I have this character. This passion is my own.”
Undav revealed De Zerbi had shown the squad a video of Basketball legend Michael Jordan lifting them after last week’s shock demolition to Everton, 5-1.
De Zerbi, whose men go to Newcastle on Tuesday, said: “The most important part to improve is the mentality.
“The defeat against Everton started when we won against Manchester United. We didn’t forget the victory but now against Newcastle we have to forget we played in Arsenal’s stadium and we won there. Otherwise, we will lose at Newcastle. One hundred per cent.”
