In a crucial weekend for the Premier League title race, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta experienced a painful night. The initial expectation was to narrow the gap with the top spot by defeating West Ham United and hoping for Liverpool to falter in their match against Manchester City on Sunday, but ultimately, this did not materialize.
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02-23, 2025Arsenal faced a significant opportunity, but they failed to seize it. Against West Ham United, whom they had previously defeated 5-2 at the London Stadium in November, Arsenal delivered a lackluster performance with only two shots on target, eventually losing 0-1. Jarrod Bowen's first-half goal decided the match's outcome, and Myles Lewis-Skelly's red card further dashed Arsenal's hopes.
If Liverpool were to win at the Etihad Stadium, Arne Slot's team would lead the league table by 11 points, a gap that would seem insurmountable even with Arsenal having a game in hand. When asked about his team's title prospects, Arteta stated, "It's not in our control."
Arteta expressed strong dissatisfaction with his team's performance, believing it fell far short of the level required to win the Premier League title, and stated that he bears responsibility for this. Captain Martin Ødegaard echoed Arteta's sentiments, acknowledging the team's lack of efficiency in attack.
Former England players Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy, on the "Match of the Day" program, suggested that the title race is over, with Liverpool's lead being unassailable. Murphy added, "I don't think Arsenal will win all their games, so Liverpool can afford to make the odd mistake. And when they play poorly, they can still get points."
This defeat marks Arsenal's first loss in their last 16 Premier League matches, but with Liverpool also maintaining a 22-game unbeaten record, this setback could inflict irreparable damage to Arsenal's title aspirations. Data analysts at Opta predict Liverpool will ultimately win the title with 86 points, leading Arteta's team by 8 points.
Opta's data indicates that Arsenal's probability of winning the league title has decreased from 15.13% to 8.14%, while Liverpool's probability has increased from 84.79% to 91.76%. Opta believes that no other team has a greater chance of winning the title.
Arteta refused to attribute the loss to the injury-induced squad imbalance. He emphasized that the level of the players and the team, as well as the will and desire demonstrated in the match, are more important. He stated that the team needs to perform better, with more quality, to defeat a good team.
Lewis-Skelly's red card during the match made Arsenal's situation even more difficult. Arteta expressed his deep disappointment with the loss, calling it a very painful one. Arsenal has now dropped 10 points in matches where they have had a player sent off this season, which has undoubtedly impacted their title challenge.
