- Arsenal blew eight-point gap
- Man City won third successive title
- Edu insists Arsenal didn't bottle league title
WHAT HAPPENED? Before facing Liverpool on April 9, Arsenal led the Premier League by five points, having played the same number of games as Manchester City, while they possessed an eight-point lead for a period in January. Just over a month later on May 20, City were crowned Premier League champions for the third consecutive season after Arsenal won just two of their next eight games. The Gunners sporting director, Edu, is disputing claims that they 'bottled' the league title, despite dropping 15 points in eight games.
WHAT HE SAID: Speaking to ESPN, Edu said: “Saying Arsenal ‘bottled’ is a word I wouldn’t use, we created our own frustration. Nobody expected us to fight for the title. You being frustrated about not winning the title is a change of mind. It could even be considered, let’s say, positive, considering times ago. In the past, we celebrated the fourth place, the third. Today, we are frustrated with the second.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Arsenal have qualified for the Champions League for the first time since 2016, an achievement in itself. However, they were knocked out of both cup competitions in the early stages and failed to move past the round of 16 in the Europa League, with many believing they may not get a better chance at Premier League glory than this season.
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WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL? A big summer lies ahead for the Gunners as they look to improve on their squad for their return to Europe's elite club competition. Names such as Declan Rice and Mason Mount have been linked with Mikel Arteta's side, but they have not emerged as clear favourites for any players just yet.
