The writing has been on the wall for weeks. But now it seems to be etched in permanent marker. Liverpool will be crowned Premier League champions and Arsenal are resigned – at very best – to second place for the third season running. And even that’s not guaranteed.
Since Mikel Arteta’s inception as manager in 2019/20, Arsenal have finished eighth twice, then jumped to fifth and now seem to be consistently runners-up.
But, perhaps, what will frustrate Gunners fans most is the fact they remain second best while two different clubs – Manchester City and now Liverpool – have beaten them to the title.
Weren’t Arsenal supposed to be next in line if Man City faltered? Were they not best setup to take advantage of a City demise? And if not, why not?
As things stand, Liverpool can cement their status as champions on March 3 against Chelsea – they need 16 more points, or five wins and a draw from their remaining nine fixtures.
The following week Arne Slot’s side host Arsenal at Anfield, meaning the Gunners would be the very first team to give Liverpool a guard of honour. Yikes. You can’t script this stuff.
What, then, has been Arsenal’s biggest downfall this season?
Is Arteta increasingly offering more problems than solutions – is he out of his depth? How weighted are injury issues? If Bukayo Saka had stayed fit would Arsenal be in this pickle? What about inaction in the January transfer window and a lack of proven No 9?
Gary Neville underlined the significance of the failure to sign a striker following the 1-1 draw with Man Utd at the weekend, saying Arteta and his players are entitled to feel “let down” by the club for not acting sooner.
At this exact point last season Arsenal were top with 64 points – nine better off than they are now – and there’s obvious strength in the argument that regression has taken hold.
Tell us what you think is the root cause of Arsenal’s decline…
