Arsenal blow it

[Northern Red]

Man City are just relentless when it comes to the run-in. Liverpool barely dropped a point towards the end of last season and it still wasn't enough to see them off.

Ferguson's mantra with Man Utd was that they didn't have to start fast but if they were in amongst it around Christmas/New Year then they could click into gear and their experience, depth and quality would usually see them come through even if there was a bit of a gap to close. This Man City team are of a similar mindset. They dropped some silly points earlier in the season and Guardiola was tinkering a bit, but when it's really mattered they've been ruthless.

[petehinton]

It was in their hands, even if they’d have lost both upcoming games to Man City, and they they subsequently blew up at anfield, blew up at West Ham and totally fell apart at home to Southampton in consecutive games. 
 

I think any team, no matter who’s chasing them, who has it in their own destiny to win it, have to rely on no one else but themselves, and don’t win it - have bottled it. 
 

Nowhere near as bad as Liverpool in the ‘slip’ season, but they’ll never ever get a better chance to win it in recent years. 

Edited May 14, 2023 by petehinton

[Fammyfan]

It’s all about fine margins, I think it’s all came down to strength in depth. Arteta has done brilliantly to manage with some of the absences in the squad but the loss of Saliba was the straw that broke the camels back. Had Saliba been fit, the title race would be going down to the wire as I don’t think the disappointing results against Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton would have happened as they did.

[W-S-M Seagull]

4 hours ago, ExiledAjax said:

81 points in 36 games (potentially ending on 87 points) and a goal difference of +41 is anything but bottling it. They're going to be beaten by financial steroids, the best coach of a generation, and a robot viking who's breaking records without sweating.

I don't like Arsenal one bit, but to say they've "bottled it" is naive, petty, and flawed in extremis.

It was totally in their hands. 

They threw away a 2 goal lead against Liverpool 

They threw away a 2 goal lead away at struggling West Ham

They drew 3-3 at home to Southampton

They then didn't even turn up for the City game.

They bottled the title. Under pressure from City admittedly, but they bottled it.

[robinforlife2]

At one stage Arsenal were 9pts clear of Man City, and City had one game in hand. They’ve thrown away wins at Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton when the league was in their hands. They gave bottled it. Whilst Man City have finished strong and are the better team, that is obvious. Arsenal will probably end the season 7pts behind Man City, that is a 16pt turnaround.

even allowing for Man City winning their game in hand and their game against Arsenal. Arsenal have simply run out of steam and are finishing with a whimper! 
 

The league was in their hands, no one else’s, regardless if City beat them. Have have capitulated, in a title race that was theirs to lose. They have 100% choked. 

[ExiledAjax]

5 hours ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

It was totally in their hands. 

They threw away a 2 goal lead against Liverpool 

They threw away a 2 goal lead away at struggling West Ham

They drew 3-3 at home to Southampton

They then didn't even turn up for the City game.

They bottled the title. Under pressure from City admittedly, but they bottled it.

All season most analytical predictions have expected Arsenal to come second. That's not because those models account for some nebulous mental weakness, it's because Arsenal were never really putting in the kind of figures that suggested they actually could, long term, beat Man City. They're going to come second because they were always likely to come second. Getting some fortune early on and landing a few points clear at some stage doesn't mean that's repeatable, nor does it mean that by eventually regressing to an expected point they have failed spectacularly.

As Barney Ronay writes today "Losing the league doesn’t have to be a collapse or a failure of character, although no doubt this is the kind of entry‑level psycho‑whiffle that will be punted about the place by some of our more heavyweight ex‑pro pundits.

Chokes, bottle jobs, collapses: these all exist in sport. But to decide that this is what happened here is a failure to see the strain of getting this far, the steps already taken, and the beauty, sometimes, of failure. Perhaps having a better squad, an all-time great manager and nation‑state‑backed resources really does give you “character”. It certainly makes you into a thrillingly good football team. Arsenal are not the first opponents to have melted trying to match this Manchester City generation."

[Searles]

Weren’t Arsenal fans already arranging the end of season title arrangements back in March?

[cider hoss rules]

12 hours ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

I don't care what anyone says, Arsenal absolutely bottled the title.

Bottled it - I don't think so....

Blew it - most definitely.

The three draws in a row, two of which they had two goal leads is where the tide turned against them.

And when that tide is Pep's Man City current squad, that takes some stopping.

[Super]

The fact that Man City had KDB on the bench yesterday says it all about the squad they have. Most teams wouldn't be resting their best players at this stage of a season.

[David Brent]

I don’t think it’s unfair to say Arsenal bottled it. They were so far ahead at one point but it’s clear to see that the pressure was too much for them.

The fact that Man City kept on winning is irrelevant.

Arsenal deserve some credit for even being in the title race though. 

Edited May 15, 2023 by David Brent

[Super]

9 hours ago, petehinton said:

It was in their hands, even if they’d have lost both upcoming games to Man City, and they they subsequently blew up at anfield, blew up at West Ham and totally fell apart at home to Southampton in consecutive games. 
 

I think any team, no matter who’s chasing them, who has it in their own destiny to win it, have to rely on no one else but themselves, and don’t win it - have bottled it. 
 

Nowhere near as bad as Liverpool in the ‘slip’ season, but they’ll never ever get a better chance to win it in recent years. 

Liverpool won 11 in a row  then lost to Chelsea and drew with Palace so not sure what you are on about there.

[SecretSam]

8 hours ago, Fammyfan said:

It’s all about fine margins, I think it’s all came down to strength in depth. Arteta has done brilliantly to manage with some of the absences in the squad but the loss of Saliba was the straw that broke the camels back. Had Saliba been fit, the title race would be going down to the wire as I don’t think the disappointing results against Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton would have happened as they did.

This. Ultimately, look at the squad depth at Man City

[Cityboy1954]

12 hours ago, ExiledAjax said:

81 points in 36 games (potentially ending on 87 points) and a goal difference of +41 is anything but bottling it. They're going to be beaten by financial steroids, the best coach of a generation, and a robot viking who's breaking records without sweating.

I don't like Arsenal one bit, but to say they've "bottled it" is naive, petty, and flawed in extremis.

Think theyve had a good season disapointing to see fans,streaming out fifteen mins to go just beaten by a quality squad .

[W-S-M Seagull]

2 hours ago, ExiledAjax said:

All season most analytical predictions have expected Arsenal to come second. That's not because those models account for some nebulous mental weakness, it's because Arsenal were never really putting in the kind of figures that suggested they actually could, long term, beat Man City. They're going to come second because they were always likely to come second. Getting some fortune early on and landing a few points clear at some stage doesn't mean that's repeatable, nor does it mean that by eventually regressing to an expected point they have failed spectacularly.

As Barney Ronay writes today "Losing the league doesn’t have to be a collapse or a failure of character, although no doubt this is the kind of entry‑level psycho‑whiffle that will be punted about the place by some of our more heavyweight ex‑pro pundits.

Chokes, bottle jobs, collapses: these all exist in sport. But to decide that this is what happened here is a failure to see the strain of getting this far, the steps already taken, and the beauty, sometimes, of failure. Perhaps having a better squad, an all-time great manager and nation‑state‑backed resources really does give you “character”. It certainly makes you into a thrillingly good football team. Arsenal are not the first opponents to have melted trying to match this Manchester City generation."

They choked it, absolutely choked it. End of. 

1 hour ago, cider hoss rules said:

Bottled it - I don't think so....

Blew it - most definitely.

The three draws in a row, two of which they had two goal leads is where the tide turned against them.

And when that tide is Pep's Man City current squad, that takes some stopping.

Yes because in those 3 games they bottled it. 

[ExiledAjax]

18 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

They choked it, absolutely choked it. End of. 

Ah fair enough. That's a very strong argument supported by unanswerable facts that my rhetoric simply cannot hope to compete with. Outfoxed yet again I must withdraw. Damn. 

[KegCity]

 

18 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

They choked it, absolutely choked it. End of. 

Yes because in those 3 games they bottled it. 

They had injuries to key players like Saliba and didn't have the squad depth to deal with them. You don't win the league starting players like Rob Holding, especially when Man City are chasing you.

Will be interesting to see what they get up to in the summer and if they're able to challenge again. I don't get the annoyance with Arsenal some people have, they play good football and are building a squad the right way - developing young players. I'd much rather see them win the league over Man City or Liverpool.

[extonsred]

24 minutes ago, KegCity said:

 

They had injuries to key players like Saliba and didn't have the squad depth to deal with them. You don't win the league starting players like Rob Holding, especially when Man City are chasing you.

Will be interesting to see what they get up to in the summer and if they're able to challenge again. I don't get the annoyance with Arsenal some people have, they play good football and are building a squad the right way - developing young players. I'd much rather see them win the league over Man City or Liverpool.

Copied the Bristol City model then!

[2015]

28 minutes ago, KegCity said:

 

They had injuries to key players like Saliba and didn't have the squad depth to deal with them. You don't win the league starting players like Rob Holding, especially when Man City are chasing you.

Will be interesting to see what they get up to in the summer and if they're able to challenge again. I don't get the annoyance with Arsenal some people have, they play good football and are building a squad the right way - developing young players. I'd much rather see them win the league over Man City or Liverpool.

I think the hatred is targeted towards their fanbase and Arsenal Fan TV has done nothing to help that case. If it isn't directed towards their fans, it's probably envious Tottenham, Chelsea or Man Utd fans right now. Haters will always hate.

[W-S-M Seagull]

39 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Ah fair enough. That's a very strong argument supported by unanswerable facts that my rhetoric simply cannot hope to compete with. Outfoxed yet again I must withdraw. Damn. 

When you posted a quote which included a dig at City's nation state backed resources I saw no reason to continue a debate with you. 

[BCFCAL]

Arsenal have a pretty thin squad, with a couple of injuries to key players that hindered them massively. A fantastic season for them but unfortunately ran out of steam in the last couple of months, I like Arsenal, always have done from their Wenger days and they're playing that attractive football again now. A young exciting squad and no doubt with the injection of a bit more money from UCL and a high league finish they can get even better. Unfortunately can't really see much other than Man City dominating English football for a very long time so who knows when their next time will come.

Think Arsenal fans have let themselves down a little bit by exaggerating the ability of some of their players and teams, and claiming that they won the league back in December/January/February. Mind you, every fan base has them kind of fans, including us!

[Lorenzos Only Goal]

Arsenal simply have a young side who over the season have ran out of both physical and mental energy.  City have a vast squad it's been in the stars all season.   You can call it bottling it or you can say gassed they've just ran out of juice.

[ExiledAjax]

45 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

When you posted a quote which included a dig at City's nation state backed resources I saw no reason to continue a debate with you. 

Sorry, I hadn't appreciated that our arguments were allowed to ignore large elements of each club's position. If you want to ignore the fact that Man City's wage bill is double that of Arsenal due to their state funded ownership, then I'm going to ignore Haaland's goals and deduct 35 points from Man City's total.

Absolute bottlers that City lot. A 10th place finish and 50 points is useless. Pep's a bald fraud etc etc.

Facetious point scoring aside - the point is that "bottling" something happens when you fail to achieve something you reasonably should have achieved with ease. That's not what Arsenal have done, due to the differences in each squad/club's make up.

If you're looking for a bottle this season then wait and see if Man City yet throw this away. That would be the bottle job.

Edited May 15, 2023 by ExiledAjax

[Mr Popodopolous]

There is some truth on both sides of it tbh. A penalty was missed at West Ham which would have our Arsenal back in the driving seat, back two goals ahead in the 2nd of their successive 2-2 draws. Southampton at home looked a mad game, yesterday they lost to an excellent side.

Man City still have to go to them and to Brentford btw, I wonder if any twists or turns to come there. Chelsea at home their other game would ordinarily be difficult but probably not at the current time. Those 3 draws played a huge role however.

I query if Man City depth is quite as high as last season tbh. They had quire the sale push over the summer and Cancelo left without replacement in January. However that aspect is all relative!

Then there is the Man City side of the equation. Went to Tottenham and lost in early February then, League only.

Arsenal x 2- W, W

Aston Villa- W

Bournemouth- W

Crystal Palace- W

Everton- W

Fulham- W

Leeds- W

Leicester- W

Liverpool- W

Newcastle- W

Nottingham Forest- D

Southampton- W

West Ham- W

P14W13D1L0 Post the Nottingham Forest game, their League form was flawless. 11 League wins on the spin.

Edited May 15, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[Red-Robbo]

50 minutes ago, Lorenzos Only Goal said:

Arsenal simply have a young side who over the season have ran out of both physical and mental energy.  City have a vast squad it's been in the stars all season.   You can call it bottling it or you can say gassed they've just ran out of juice.

 

What I was going to say.

If anything, you can say Arsenal overachieved by leading the table for so long.

English top-flight football is a depressing thing, with the same team about to win its fifth title in 6 seasons. You can only enjoy it by rooting for plucky underdogs like Brighton and Brentford, and laughing at Chelsea. 

[Lorenzos Only Goal]

5 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

What I was going to say.

If anything, you can say Arsenal overachieved by leading the table for so long.

English top-flight football is a depressing thing, with the same team about to win its fifth title in 6 seasons. You can only enjoy it by rooting for plucky underdogs like Brighton and Brentford, and laughing at Chelsea. 

I do enjoy Laughing at Chelsea, almost since it's inception I've tended to follow players rather than teams in the premiership.

[Baba Yaga]

The West Ham game was an interesting one, completely dominated for 30 mins then made a silly error to get the game back to within 1 goal. There was a huge momentum shift right there and West Ham were the better side for the last hour and Saka hit a pen wide too. I didn't think they were going to win the title anyway but they definitely felt the pressure at times and their performances have fallen off when the pressure was on. However with Man City winning every game they would have had to be near perfect to stay in it.

You could argue that they bottled 4th last season and I was surprised to see them improve this season let alone challenge for the title, I suspect this season will be their peak in the prem but would be good to see them go again and make some more title races exciting.

[LondonBristolian]

I think firstly Arteta has done a phenomenal job this season and I really hope - once the dust settles - he and the team can be proud of how well they have done this season rather than seeing it as a failure. 

Secondly, I think Brighton deserve a sight more credit than they are getting. The focus on Arsenal "bottling" it is a tad disrespectful to the phenomenal job De Zerbi has done there and the way their players reacted to the Everton defeat. 

[Super]

15 minutes ago, LondonBristolian said:

I think firstly Arteta has done a phenomenal job this season and I really hope - once the dust settles - he and the team can be proud of how well they have done this season rather than seeing it as a failure. 

Secondly, I think Brighton deserve a sight more credit than they are getting. The focus on Arsenal "bottling" it is a tad disrespectful to the phenomenal job De Zerbi has done there and the way their players reacted to the Everton defeat. 

Could not agree more. Watching the game yesterday you would think it was Brighton going for the title. Shame for Arsenal they couldn't take it further as Brighton still have to play Man City. 

[Nongazeuse]

"Bottling it" suggests that Arsenal lacked courage / guts but I think that would be harsh.  They have a good squad but nothing like as deep as Man City. 

In retrospect we did quite well only losing 0-3 in the Cup to the Blue Mancs.  

[ExiledAjax]