Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta must prove he’s not a ‘nearly man’
Arteta added: “I was very disappointed not to get a result in the game and not to get the performance. The players felt we lost an opportunity but we have the advantage in the league in the next five games so let’s go.”
Arsenal missed opportunities, particularly when Kai Havertz headed towards an open goal in the final seconds of a frustrating seven-minute stoppage. It was a moment of great drama, a mixture of relief on the City side and anguish for fans traveling with the Gunners.
As Arteta collapsed, his body language said it all.
Arsenal’s luck abandoned them when Eberechi Eze’s second-half shot hit the inside of a post and somehow went out, while Gabriel later suffered similar misfortune with a header.
Arsenal have lost back-to-back Premier League matches for the first time since December 2023, ending their five-game unbeaten run in the league against Manchester City with two wins and three draws in the process.
Starting with the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City in March, they have lost four, won one and drawn one of their last six matches in all competitions. They lost only three of the first 49 matches of the season, with 37 wins and 9 draws.
On the contrary, Manchester City is undefeated in the last 10 Premier League matches, achieving seven wins and three draws, making it the longest undefeated streak in the league this season.
Pep Guardiola’s side have a history of timing their final runs at this course and distance perfectly. This will only increase the concerns of Arsenal and their fans.
Arteta has been rightly accused of being conservative in his approach this season, choosing a positive squad with Eze and Martin Odegaard.
But Arsenal’s exclusion of the £64m summer transfer of striker Viktor Gyokeres, who aims to make a difference in the biggest game of the season so far, is hardly a vote of confidence.
Is there panic on the streets of London? Not yet.
But Arsenal’s nerves may be dissipating at the chance of getting the result that would give them a significant boost to a first Premier League title since the ‘Invincibles’ painful runaway 22 years ago.
