Where, when and how the Premier League title was lost

Put whatever spin you want on this season, and many Gooners will carry on trying, but if you were told in the summer that Arsenal would be mathematically out of the title race before May, you would be disappointed.

Liverpool’s advantage at the top of the table being 15 points would normally imply they have dominated. They really have not, recently looking like they are physically and mentally tiring. They simply have had zero competition in 2025. On the final day of last campaign, Mikel Arteta asked those at the Emirates not to be satisfied with finishing a point behind the champions. We were told by the Kroenke family the ambition is to win silverware and nothing else should be deemed as successful. Yet a combination of red cards, poor officiating and injuries have given a section of our fanbase material to hide behind.

Founded in 1886 as Dial Square, referees getting decisions wrong and talent not being fit has been a yearly occurrence. It happens in every country, in all divisions, to every side who has ever played the sport. Some act like it is unique and exclusive to 2024-25. Some are either trying to convince themselves we have the manager to get us over the line or are too proud to admit the team they love has not been good enough.

In an era where people can share opinions around the world within seconds, some of my peers say some arrogant things but do not want to take their medicine when it comes back to bite them. So just where, when and how was the title lost?

August – September 2024

Kicking the Ball Away

The debate regarding this rule has never completely gone away ever since Declan Rice’s second yellow card against Brighton. Every pre-season, the FA meet with the 20 Premier League clubs and update them on any changes to the law. They stressed that they had ordered referees to act more firmly on players delaying a restart of the game, including kicking the ball away.

The laws do not state it should be factored in how far the ball is kicked or if the individual is on a booking, meaning technically our midfielder had done wrong. This became the main talking point of the international break, making you think if there is one thing you will never see a Gunner do again this season it will be to even lightly touch the ball when a free-kick is given against them.

Incredibly, Trossard did the same thing at the Etihad just three weeks later, although his argument was he did not hear the whistle. This started conspiracy theories against Michael Oliver that are ongoing. Words like bias and corruption are used on various platforms. It is ignored that he has also given questionable decisions in our favour and against title rivals. While these two red cards have been used to justify our failures domestically, it is worth pointing out after the 2-2 draw with Man City we were only one point behind Liverpool.

19th October 2024

Arteta – Negative Tactics When Playing With 10 Men

Whisper it quietly, not all red cards against Arsenal have been controversial. Some were just poor defending, such as what Saliba did on the South Coast. Our defender should have just let Evanilson run through on goal.

What started to be questioned though was our approach to playing with 10 men. We seemed to park the bus, letting the Cherries have all the possession, inviting attacks. We had adopted similar tactics when receiving reds against Brighton and Man City but that was with leads to defend.

At the Vitality, the game was goalless and there was over an hour still to play. Of course, Bournemouth had a natural advantage but Arteta acted like it was impossible to still get results with 10 men. Mr Wenger made a habit out of it.

At this point, the only time the team had dropped points was when a red had been shown, but the gap between us and Liverpool was not huge by the end of the weekend, four points with them at the Emirates the following week.

27th October 2024

Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool

Leading 2-1 at half-time, the Gunners were on course to close the gap between us and our opponents to just one point. Then Gabriel went off injured and the Emirates went quiet, treating his replacement Kiwior like he was an academy prospect, not a 20 million pound Polish international.

That is because that is how our manager had educated Gooners to think. With Saliba serving a suspension, Mikel Arteta chose to take Partey out of midfield to start at right-back so White could move into the middle. Our boss preferred to play two players not in their usual positions because he did not trust a centre-back to be a like-for-like replacement.

Now forced to trust him, the player and all the fans knew there was zero faith in the 25-year-old. So the team were ordered to park the bus, let Liverpool have the ball and invited the equaliser.

September 2024

Odegaard Ankle Injury

Our captain got injured while playing for Norway. While Arsenal in the last couple of years have been better at being able to dig out results in the long term, it was noticeable without our skipper our failure to be creative. Lots of possession led to sideways passes but a failure to work the keeper.

It led to question marks over why there was not an alternative for the 26-year-old, especially with Smith Rowe and Vieira (on loan) allowed to leave the club. By the time Odegaard returns, we are seven points behind Liverpool. Outside of a second-half cameo in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, it has always looked to me that the midfielder was rushed back too soon and was not 100 percent fit. Clearly, that has impacted his confidence, with him overthinking his final ball and seemingly scared to shoot.

If you said to me this time last year some Gooners would be very critical of the Norwegian, I would not have believed you.

8th December 2024

Fulham 1-1 Arsenal

With the Merseyside derby postponed the day before, Arsenal missed the chance to close the gap between us and Liverpool to four points. In a worrying sign of things to come, the Gunners dominated possession in the second half at Craven Cottage but failed to translate that into many clear-cut chances. The lack of urgency from our players was a cause for concern. We waited for the kitchen sink to be thrown at Leno’s goal but it did not happen.

14th December 2024

Arsenal 0-0 Everton

One of the few times where Gooners could not blame injuries or dodgy decisions. This forced them to focus purely on our tactics. Arsenal dominated possession against Everton but in a sign of things to come, Jordan Pickford had limited great saves to make. Worse, at half-time the Gunners would have known that Liverpool were not just a goal down at Anfield but a man down against Fulham.

Six points behind the league leaders having played a game more, this was a rare opportunity to close the gap. Since being a manager, Mikel Arteta has focused on fixing our defence, but this stalemate left some questioning whether he had gone too far the other way and was now micro-managing the likes of Martinelli.

For decades, even in Mr Wenger’s final years, we had a reputation for always making chances. That was no longer the case.

21st December 2024

Saka Injury

The Gunners’ 5-1 rout at Selhurst Park was overshadowed by Bukayo Saka damaging his hamstring. It was later revealed the 23-year-old would need surgery. It was okay though, that was why the January transfer window was designed, for clubs to do business if their squad needed any help.

The window opened with Liverpool nine points ahead of us.

January 1st 2025

Brighton 1-1 Arsenal

Arsenal conceded a bizarre penalty where, as Saliba went to nod the ball away, he made contact with Pedro’s head. Arteta told the BBC, “It is the worst decision I have seen in my life”. Our manager again focused on the official and not another second-half display where we failed to work the keeper. That was despite now being five points behind Liverpool having played two more games.

January 7th – 12th 2025

Arsenal Miss Sitters

If the Kroenke family needed any more evidence that we would not be able to catch Liverpool with our current attack, we missed incredible chances in two cup ties at the Emirates in the space of five days. Not that our owners would even have known we were playing.

Eddie Howe in particular highlighted how managers now view playing Arsenal. Where once visitors would be forced to park the bus, now they tactically did so deliberately. The belief being that the Gunners were no longer good enough to break down a low block. It was okay though, we were being linked with various attacking options.

January 22nd 2025

Jesus Ruled Out for Season – Arteta Asks for Help

Cruelly, just as he was finding his scoring touch, Gabriel Jesus was ruled out for a year after needing surgery on his ACL. At this point, it was either arrogant or naive to think our current attack was enough to catch Liverpool. That or our owners do not care. To his credit, our manager could not have done more to ask his employers for help.

January 29th 2025

The Watkins Saga

How genuine our interest is or was in Ollie Watkins remains debatable to this current day. Despite reports that the Gunners were preparing a second bid many Gooners had seen this transfer strategy from the Koronke Family in the past. Wait for the 11th hour of the window to make an offer you know will be rejected, then turn around and say you tried. Unfortunately some of my peers fell for it. To the shock of very few, negotiations quietly end.

February 3rd 2025

Window Closes

To the shock of many and despite their own manager saying he was short in attacking areas and the squad needed help, Arsenal fail to bring in any new signings. To clarify the likes of Man City, PSG, Juventus, AC Milan, Spurs, Aston Villa, Leipzig, Galatasaray, all manage to improve their front lines.

February 5th – 14th February

Martinelli and Havertz Injured

Almost to teach the Koronke Family what happens when you leave your attack with zero alternatives, in the space of a week we lose Martinelli and Havertz to hamstring injuries. The German undergoes surgery.
Our manager says his squad should be excited to find solutions in attack. With a straight face he tries to convince Gooners that Trossard, a player on loan with zero confidence, a 17 year old and a CM playing out of position can close a 7 point gap with Liverpool.

22nd February

Arsenal 0-1 West Ham

Having been held twice in the week by Everton and Villa, Arsenal had a chance to send Liverpool to the Ethiad with the gap down to 5 points. Yet as so many Gooners had warned throughout January, our lack of quality up front cost us. I cannot think of many fixtures at the Emirates where the Gunners never looked like scoring even before we went down to 10 men.

26th February 2025

Notts Forest 0-0 Arsenal

On the Saturday Arsenal were playing to close the gap between us and Liverpool to 5 points. By the Wednesday we were 13 points behind the league leaders. To the surprise of few Gooners, the team had failed to score in 3 out of their 4 fixtures since the window closed. The Koronke Family can never claim they were not warned, not that they would have been watching. Almost to make his point, Arteta was forced to bring on full backs as attacking options.

April 2025

Champions League Prioritised

Despite saying he would not give up on the title until it was mathematically impossible to win, Mikel Arteta clearly plans his team based on the Champions League being his priority. That is reflected in performances and atmosphere at the Emirates. Draws with Everton and Brentford are forgiven because they are either side of the Real Madrid tie. Seemingly we play Palace with clearly one eye on PSG. This speeds up Liverpool getting to the finish line.