Reuters reported that yesterday, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was gracious in congratulating Manchester City on their Premier League win. However, the heartache and disappointment he felt were evident as his team had been leading the race for much of it but couldn’t sustain form in the closing stages.
It wasn’t so long ago that Arsenal were 8 points ahead of Manchester City in the title race. However, with only two victories in their last 8 matches, City emerged as victors of the competition. The crushing defeat to Nottingham Forest cost The Gunners the trophy and put Guardiola’s men out of reach.
Arsenal’s stumble in the title race clearly showed they lacked the mental strength and enough depth to challenge Manchester City. However, Mikel Arteta can take solace from this season knowing that he has developed a squad that can be contenders for the title next time around.
Arteta, a former City employee under Guardiola, has done a remarkable job at Arsenal. The Gunners are now comfortably second in the world’s most competitive league due to his efforts.
Despite being at the top of the league for 248 days this season, they were unable to seal the deal and claim the Premier League title. This is a record-breaking amount of time spent atop the table without winning it.
Despite having an average squad age of 24, Arsenal’s remarkable title hunt against Manchester City was something to be admired. Their youth gave them a competitive edge and made their campaign even more extraordinary.
Arteta commented that it is too premature to discuss objectives for the upcoming season.
