Arsenal remained on prime of the Premier League desk for 248 days. For eight months, it appeared that it was on its approach to successful the league after practically 20 years. Instead, that interval turned essentially the most for a group which didn’t win the title in English top-flight historical past.
Arsenal crumbled, misplaced steam within the essential part of the match and finally misplaced the title race to Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola’s males have been a thorn in Arsenal’s flesh, beating it in each competitors since July 2020.
This season’s decline, moderately an absence of success, began after the Leeds United recreation which Arsenal gained 4-1 on April 1.
In the subsequent three video games, Arsenal dropped six factors after sharing the honours with Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton.
Two of these video games noticed the Gunners draw from successful positions after equalisers from Roberto Firmino and Jarrod Bowen respectively.
Out of breath
Mikel Arteta’s facet huffed and puffed, and in some way managed to attract in opposition to relegation-threatened Southampton. By the time it got here face-to-face with City, it was out of breath.
The outcome: a 1-4 mauling by Manchester City.
Arsenal — nonetheless main by two factors at that stage — appeared to have moved on with wins over Chelsea and Newcastle United.
But Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton and Hove Albion, freshly wounded after a 1-5 rout in opposition to Everton, hit again with a 3-0 win over the Gunners.
That was the ‘dementor’s kiss’ for the London-based facet and its fortunes nosedived with consecutive losses.
In 32 Premier League video games, Arsenal had three defeats. It had as many in its subsequent six.
The final one, in opposition to Nottingham Forest, handed the title to City and saved Forest from relegation.
For Arsenal, it meant that the title dream was formally over.
Injury woes mid-season
To say that Arsenal stumbled simply due to morale could be an oversimplification as Arteta’s boys have been near-perfect for many a part of the season.
The group misplaced its No. 9 Gabriel Jesus to a knee harm mid-season and Leandro Trossard — the previous Brighton broad winger — stepped as much as fill the void.
The London-based membership discovered a frontrunner in Martin Odegaard, who excelled in absorbing strain and beginning assaults from the No. 10 place.
Oleksandr Zinchenko mixed with Gabriel Martinelli to maintain it going alongside the left channel whereas Bukayo Saka and Ben White have been the counterparts on the opposite facet.
Hardly had Jesus returned after recuperating from harm that Zinchenko and Martinelli have been sidelined with calf and ankle accidents respectively.
The harm checklist already had defenders Takehiro Tomiyasu and William Saliba whereas midfielder Mohamed Elneny was out your entire season.
Arteta — with a handful of video games left — noticed harm and confidence dent the title dream and on the City Ground in Nottinghamshire, he might simply sigh and name it a “really sad day”.
The misplaced factors
Up to the Leeds recreation, the Gunners earned all 21 factors from their earlier seven video games. Off the subsequent seven, they received to simply six. Those misplaced factors made all of the distinction.
This season’s dream could also be over, however there are enormous positives that Arsenal can construct on.
It has certified for the Champions League after six years — and for the primary time underneath Arteta — and that may profit it financially in the summertime switch window.
Going eye to eye
It additionally managed to look within the eye of a juggernaut like City — which has now gained the title for the final three years — and stored it at bay for essentially the most half.
Arsenal, after many years of heartbreaks, learnt to consider this season. Despite the agony of coming so shut and failing this time, there will likely be perception that it might probably stand up, go once more and realise the Premier League dream subsequent season.