Micah Richards believes the quality in depth of Manchester City was the edge they had over Arsenal in the Premier League title race this season.
Arsenal’s challenge all but ended after their capitulation to Brighton yesterday and they will now have to prepare to challenge for the crown again next season.
The Gunners have had a good run and will be rewarded with a return to the Champions League after delivering some of the finest football moments this season.
Mikel Arteta bolstered his squad in the summer and the January transfer window, but the gaffer’s side has still fallen short in their bid to win the title for the first time in two decades.
Richards looks at both squads and says Arsenal is the least equipped among the two sides.
The former defender says via The Daily Mail:
‘You could feel the devastation inside the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal’s dream effectively died. What a season they have had but the lack of depth in their squad, compared to the options Manchester City have, has proved decisive in the final weeks.
‘Arsenal find themselves in the position that Liverpool have done in recent years, having given it everything but come up short. City are in an incredible position now, with their strength, and if they are going to be stopped again next year in the Premier League, a team are going to have to be flawless.’
Just Arsenal Opinion
We have had a good run and our players went above the expectations at the start of this campaign.
That defeat hurts, but we can see the progress we have made as a positive and try to build on that from now on.
Video – Mikel Arteta explains what went wrong against Brighton “All of the team was below par”
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According to the geniuses on JA it’s nothing to do with depth.
The pundit is stating the obvious
Failure to see problems, put them right and be flexible with tactics. Plan A is pretty much all we have, everything else so far seems to create unsolvable problems. Artetas preparation seems good, his in game tactical nouse, seems wanting. Replacing Saliba should not have been a problem, replacing Partey with Jorghino should nit make such a big difference, replacing Zinchenko with Tierney should not make any difference. Nketiah replaced Jesus and was not a problem, so the squad is not to blame but the way you change it.
Really??
It’s about replacing with like-for-like without dropping too much quality. The only example you gave that somewhat works is Partey/Jorghino. Otherwise our other options were only good enough to ride out games that were either fully won or lost.
You cant replace like for like, that is the problem in many ways.
Lack of a quality Manager cost us ,if we don’t have squad depth after 3 .5 years and spending half a billion pound something must be wrong with the idiots spending it .
@ DK
A bit harsh but there is an element of truth in it.
I feel your pain and I am going through it as well mate.
I would like to put it as a learning curve for both manager (in terms of rotation and use of substitutes) and players mentality (to focus on the job and show ruthlessness in both boxes).
Pep has set very high standards. Difficult to de-throne that guy.
Dan, yet you rubbish Unai Emery as a manager despite his achievements with Valencia. Villeareal (Europa League winners), PSA ( 8 trophies and best record since Blanc) and the turnaround at Aston Villa with the same players as Gerrard. You rubbish Emery at Arsenal yet he improved on Arsene Wenger in his first year as head coach with no say in recruitment and was sacked after sitting in 8th position. He didn’t get the support of the Board, the say in recruitment and transfer budget that Mikel Arteta has had. It will be interesting to see the progress of Aston Villa under Emery with the support of the Board and the financial strength of that rich club.
Another strong competitor for top four against the mighty Arsenal and the other “big five”.
OG
I totally agree with you about the treatment of Emery. It was poor from the fans, players and the management.
But after that Watford game where we lead 2 – 0 and got hammered by them and salvaged a 2-2 draw which felt like a draining defeat I did feel he was not the right fit at that time and did want him gone.
Emery was the right coach but just not the one to take over after Wenger’s departure. Had we brought in Benitez for a couple of seasons and then brought in Emery I felt we would have reeked the benefits.
sorry OG *reaped the benefits* (not reeked the benefits).
It’s only Arsenal that will lead a table for eight good months out of the nine months period and ended up loosing the trophy. Even Newcastle, Brighton or Aston Villa cannot make that mistake. In 2015 when Leicester City led the league table until January, they knew it’s an opportunity for them to win the league. They did all they could to making sure things work weil for them. They knew it would take them years to occupy that possible. It’s a tradition for Arsenal. Never run into conclusion about Arsenal’s title Chase. If arteta failed to bring in quality players next season, the result will remain the same. You’ll laugh at the beginning and cry in the end. Not how soon you finish but how best you finish..
We get a good transfer window and get everyone fit again then we put in another challenge next season. City has set very high standards but we weren’t too far off them, the glass def half full. And CL ball is back woohoo will we get
Expected when you drop your achievable plan A Europa Trophy for Plan B EPL Trophy. Always stick with your plan. Don’t be greedy.