Arsenal did all that they could
Yesterday, millions of Gooner’s around the world woke up knowing that if Manchester City lost on the final day of the Premier League season, the title would be Arsenal’s – as long as they won of course.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal had the chance to become the first team in Premiership history to win the title from second heading into the last match of the campaign.
Many hoped and many prayed that Pep Guardiola’s Citizens would slip up as they had done at times this season. For example when they lost 1-0 to Aston Villa just like the Gunners later did that week in December, or when they drew twice versus Chelsea who posed no threat to Arsenal at all!
On one of the warmest Sundays of the year, Manchester City prepared to take out West Ham United to clinch the top-flight of English football for four consecutive years on the trot, which not even Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester United have ever achieved. Meanwhile down in bustling North London at the Emirates, The Gunners knew that they could ill afford to slip up in the most pressurising game of the season, if not Premier League history!
In less than 20 minutes at the Etihad Manchester City were jumping up and down believing that victory would be imminent, after two goals were rammed into the back of the net by Phil Foden they were 2-0 up. With the Gunners unaware of what was happening Everton put the North Londoners on the backfoot with a strike from Idrissa Gueye, who was looking to ruin Arsenal’s day if anything was to later occur at The Citizens in their favour.
Fortunately sooner rather than later Tomiyasu stood up for Arsenal grabbing the equaliser minutes before the halftime whistle. Just before the break The Hammers fired back against Manchester City with the score now standing at 2-1 all thanks to a Kudus strike, the hairs on the Gooners backs stood up hoping for a miracle to occur. However not long before the hour mark Rodri wrapped up the title for Guardiola which would finish off the eventual 3-1 victory. The Arsenal did the same with only minutes left on the clock with Trossard ticking off a much hard worked 2-1 win, however it was not enough to win the Premiership but at the end of the day what more could they have done?
We can sit here and cry about how we shouldn’t have lost silly games to Aston Villa (twice), Newcastle United, Fulham and West Ham earlier on in the season, however yesterday all we could do was win with any chance of lifting our first Premiership in two decades and that was just what we did, regardless of whether Man City won or not!
Liam Harding
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I’d be disappointed if last season’s achievement was “all we could”. Fortunately, that’s not the case cos i think we have a lot more to show to the football world. All i’m saying in essence is that last season will go down as part of our development, which will further improve with experience,hunger,chemistry and quality additions to the group. A bright future ahead. COYG!
Given pretty much everybody lost games they arguably should have won this season its hard to say anybody did all that they could. Arteta cited the loss to Villa at the Emirates as the key game. Villa themselves of course were beaten 4-0 by Spurs at home, I could go on. I suspect every manager is looking at the season and thinking about the matches where they could have done more.