Weekend Wrap: Arsenal’s EPL Title Hopes in Limbo, Barca Wins La Liga, and 5 Big Talking Points

• There was drama across the board in Europe's top five football leagues
• The top divisions in England, Spain, Germany, Italy, and France all had watershed moments
• Sports Brief has the lowdown on all the action from the weekend matches

Another weekend of football action filled with drama, shocks, cheers, and jeers came in thick and fast across Europe's top five leagues, as the season draws to a close.

In England, it ended in bitter tears for north-Londoners Arsenal, who - after perching at the top of the Premier League for the majority of the season - saw their title hopes majorly dented by Brighton and Hove Albion.

Meanwhile, Barcelona basked in glory in front of enraged Espanyol fans.

There's not much to talk about in Italy since Napoli clinched their first Scudetto in 33 years, but in Germany, the race for the top four is getting keener, as Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich set the Bundesliga on fire with two games to spare.

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Here are the five major talking points from the weekend:

Brighton virtually end Arsenal's dreams

Arsenal's faint Premier League title hopes came crashing down in an embarrassing fashion, as they suffered a chastening defeat at the hands of Roberto De Zerbi's sensational Brighton side at the Emirates Stadium.

Three second-half goals from Enciso, Denis Undav, and Pervis Estupinan all but ended Arsenal's hopes of ending their Premier League title drought, as Manchester City march on towards a third Premier League crown on the trot.

For Arsenal fans, the defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow, having led the English top flight for the majority of the 2022-23 season, but perhaps the feather in their cap is booking a ticket for next season's Champions League.

Barcelona's stylish La Liga win

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Barcelona ended their almost half-a-decade wait to win La Liga in style, thumping cross-town rivals, Espanyol to win their 27th league crown in front of an enraged home crowd, per Mirror.

This is Barca's first La Liga triumph since Lionel Messi left the club. They have conquered the Spanish top flight with four games to spare, while posting the best defensive record in the division.

The Catalan giants hope their league triumph will spur the club's young core on to future success, particularly in Europe, where La Blaugrana have been a pale shadow of their former selves. They used to wreak havoc in the UEFA Champions League, Europe's premier club competition.

Bayern, Dortmund secure photo finish

Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are ensuring this season goes down in Bundesliga history as the most dramatic, most keenly-contested title chase in recent memory.

For 10 seasons running, Bayern have won the German league with ease, brushing aside every opponent with one eye closed. However, this season has been different, as Dortmund hunt them down.

The top 5 talking points from a thrilling weekend of football action

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With two games to spare, both sides will fancy their chances of earning the accolade of Bundesliga champions. They are separated by a solitary point following their landslide victories over the weekend. Bayern thrashed Schalke 6-0, while Dortmund put up a five-star display to beat Monchengladbach 5-2.

PSG: Messi booed, Mbappe stars

Lionel Messi received a rough reception on his return from suspension as Paris Saint-Germain edged closer to a record 11th Ligue 1 title, CNN reports.

The Argentine phenom saw his two-week suspension lifted but had a difficult night in PSG's 5-0 win against Ajaccio.

He was booed by the home crowd, which appeared to take a toll on him as the 35-year-old, who looks set to depart Paris this summer, put up a sub-par performance.

His attacking partner, Kylian Mbappe, rose to the occasion, delivering a brace to inspire PSG to a resounding win.

The victory against the now-relegated Ajaccio means Les Parisiens will need only four points from their remaining three matches to win a record 11th Ligue 1 title.

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Italy's top-4 race heats up

The Scudetto has already been clinched by Luciano Spalletti's swashbuckling Napoli team, but the race for the top four is not over, with three games left.

Juventus, Inter Milan, Lazio, and AC Milan (to some extent) all have a chance to take the remaining Champions League slots. While the Bianconerri have managed to claw back after a difficult start, Inter Milan are experiencing a surge in form.

Unfortunately, Maurizio Sarri's Lazio have slipped from second spot to fourth and could miss out on the top four after failing to secure a win since May 3. Outsiders, AC Milan are on 61 points, four behind Lazio and two ahead of Mourinho's AS Roma.