Unwelcomed Fight, serious injury and the moments Arsenal rethink as the title slips away

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Unwelcomed Fight, serious injury and the moments Arsenal rethink as the title slips away

With Arsenal holding the Premier League title challenge in their grasp, fans are asking: where did it all go wrong?
An eight-point lead over Manchester City has slipped to a four-point deficit and a first league title since 2004 now looks impossibly far away.

Fans started to believe that the title was coming now they need a miracle

There are overwhelming positives to Mikel Arteta’s unexpected run for glory.
The leadership of Martin Odegaard, the talent of Bukayo Saka and the imperious performances of William Saliba.

But there are concerns this may have been their best chance, as Liverpool falter this season and Manchester United and Chelsea build for the future. It gets even scarier when the stumble comes just when everything seems so positive.
A 3-1 loss to City at the Emirates in February was Arteta’s biggest test yet, but they responded in impressive style with seven straight wins and their biggest lead of the season.
Then everything changed with a trip to Anfield, which highlighted the first moment fans could have been ruined.

Swiss signs of the past

Arsenal were 2-0 up within half an hour at a stadium that so often struggles and it looked like Liverpool were on the verge of another embarrassing result in a season full of games like this.

With the ball gone, the Swiss dropped a foot on Trent Alexander-Arnold, lunged for the right-back and hit his head, causing an uproar in the crowd at Anfield.
Liverpool eventually bounced back with a 2-2 draw, ending Arsenal’s winning streak with the fans on their side, and Jamie Carragher took aim at Xhaka after the game.
“I’m mad at Xhaka,” he said. ” What are you doing ! It’s absolutely bad. Take the games and join us. Why do that, it’s offending the crowd, it’s completely not encouraging.”

The most serious injuries

Arsenal’s title bid has been marked by youngsters who have reached new heights in the form of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli.

But three games before Liverpool’s draw, the importance of a player like no other was on full display when William Saliba suffered the injury in the Europa League defeat to Sporting Lisbon.
The Frenchman’s return from loan was crucial to his title lead and although his defeat was not felt in the 4-1 wins over Crystal Palace and Leeds, it clearly has been since.
“When Saliba came out it was like unplugging the bathtub,”. “When he came out the whole team must have lost 15 yards behind and looked vulnerable to balls in the hallways.” In the end, Saliba was far too decisive

Part of Arsenal’s rise earlier in the season was the sensational transfer deal which saw Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko join Man City for a total of £75million and for a while it looked like they were going to beat their old team. Zinchenko put in a string of world-class performances, but some have sometimes wondered if his passion was too great.
The Ukrainian was filmed walking past Arsenal fans honking and shouting out the window after a 4-1 win over Palace, and sparking a crowd on the pitch in a 3-3 loss to Southampton, Gary Neville thought, it was too far.

“I’m watching little things that might seem a bit harsh – Zinchenko is partying with the fans outside an hour after the game and shouting,” he said.
“You want your team leaders who have been there before to spread calm in the dressing room and make everyone feel comfortable. You don’t want them to dampen the anxiety, dampen the emotions. Some even wondered if Zinchenko undermined Odegaard’s leadership.

After drawing with Liverpool, West Ham were next and Arsenal had a chance to regain their footing and regain control of the title. They were 2–0 up again, this time at the London Stadium, and when the Hammers pulled one back there was a chance to end any comeback from the spot.
Bukayo Saka had an impeccable record from the penalty spot for the season, scoring in big moments against Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool, but lost his magic against West Ham.
The Hammers sent his shot high and wide, the Hammers felt the momentum change and 100 seconds later Jarrod Bowen scored the goal to make it 2-2.
Announcement

“The match against Liverpool wasn’t deadly because it can happen,”. “But the 2-0 win against West Ham and the missed penalty at 2-1…

“I thought it was a key moment, and it’s done and dusted off. I can understand the criticism, but I think they deserve credit for maintaining the title race for so long.”

Saka was flawless from the penalty spot in the last minute.