Tottenham have not come within 20 points of City over the same period and, unlike Arsenal, they will not do so this season. To have reduced the gap so substantially this season is a sign of real progress under Arteta. In the five campaigns between 2017-22, they had finished, on average, 27.8 points behind City. They are simply a massive problem.Īt least Arsenal have pushed them hard this season. To rivals such as Liverpool, who have appeared exhausted by the effort of trying to compete with them over the previous four years, Arsenal and the rest of the ‘Big Six’ clubs, Manchester City are none of these things. Until then, the club continues to deny the allegations and the Premier League maintains the most awkward silence imaginable. The European champions were emphatically beaten by a much, much better side.Īny kind of resolution to that case seems a long way off.
Carlo Ancelotti, too, could focus on moments if he wished to - the way his players allowed Bernardo Silva to drift into space for both the first and second goals on the night - but again it would be missing the point. On a micro-level, yes, but the bigger picture is that an emerging, captivating, slightly fragile team has been hunted down, reeled in and ultimately eaten up by Manchester City, an unstoppable force that combines the vast wealth of Abu Dhabi ownership with an unrivalled talent pool and an utterly brilliant, utterly insatiable coach.Įven the mighty Real Madrid had no answer, outclassed and overwhelmed in the Champions League semi-final second leg on Wednesday. If only, if only…īut however much Arsenal felt glory was within their grasp - and at times it was - they haven’t really been undone by moments. If only Aaron Ramsdale hadn’t gifted possession to Carlos Alcaraz in the opening seconds of what became a nerve-fraught evening at the Emirates against Southampton. If only William Saliba hadn’t been injured on that arduous Europa League night at home to Sporting Lisbon. If only Odegaard and Saka, their two outstanding players this season, had not suffered those momentary lapses away to Liverpool and West Ham. If only they had held firm at that corner at Goodison Park.
In Arsenal’s case, that series of jolts turned a 2022-23 campaign of huge progress and rich promise - challenging for a first Premier League title in 19 years, setting a pace which at the halfway stage had them on course for a record-equalling total of 100 points - into one that looks like being tinged with regrets so near, yet so far. Or the moment, a couple of minutes later, when a patched-up defence suffered a collective lapse and allowed Jarrod Bowen to equalise.Īny football season can be boiled down to a collection of moments. Or the moment Bukayo Saka missed the target with a penalty when Arsenal were 2-1 up at West Ham United on April 16.
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