It’s Been the Same Old Story for Arsenal
Arsenal’s title hopes have taken a significant blow after their defeat to West Ham, just as Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League.
Saturday’s loss at the Emirates was a missed opportunity for the Gunners to put pressure on league leaders Liverpool, who went on to beat Manchester City and extend their advantage to 11 points.
Arsenal have been in the title race for the last couple of seasons, but they have consistently fallen short in crucial matches. Last season, they were in a strong position to win the league, only to lose at home to Aston Villa during the run-in.
Manchester United have spent more days top of the Premier League table (1) than Arsenal (0) this season. 🫣 pic.twitter.com/5deo3fQIgG
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) February 25, 2025
The defeat to West Ham, courtesy of a goal by Jarrod Bowen, has significantly damaged Arsenal’s hopes of winning their first Premier League title since 2004. With key attackers like Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz injured, manager Mikel Arteta has had to rely on midfielder Mikel Merino as a makeshift center-forward.
Arsenal’s woes at the Emirates have extended beyond the West Ham loss. They were also knocked out of the FA Cup on penalties by Manchester United, despite the Red Devils being down to 10 men from the 60th minute. Additionally, they were eliminated from the Carabao Cup, losing 4-0 over two legs against Newcastle United in the semi-finals.
Champions League: Arsenal’s Last Realistic Hope
While Arteta has won the Community Shield twice and the FA Cup in 2019/20, the Gunners’ fans will be eager to see the club win one of the bigger trophies sooner rather than later. With Manchester City’s decline, missing out on the Premier League title this season will be a significant blow for Arsenal supporters.
With Liverpool now the heavy favorites to win the league, the Champions League is Arsenal’s last realistic hope of ensuring this campaign is not considered a failure. However, it’s a huge ask for a team that has had limited success in the competition, with their last appearance in the quarter-finals coming last season, where they were eliminated by Bayern Munich.
Arsenal face PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League round of 16, and should they advance, they could face a tough tie against the winner of the Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid derby in the quarterfinals.
With nearly £700 million spent on transfers since Arteta took over, Arsenal’s season will be deemed a failure if they fail to lift a trophy. Their inability to sign a forward in the January transfer window has added to the frustration, and there are concerns that the Gunners are going backwards after several seasons of progress under Arteta.
Key Takeaways:
– Arsenal’s title hopes have taken a blow after their defeat to West Ham
– The Gunners have consistently fallen short in crucial matches in recent seasons
– Injuries to key attackers have forced Arteta to rely on makeshift options
– Arsenal have been knocked out of both domestic cup competitions
– The Champions League is their last realistic hope for success this season
– Failure to win a trophy will be seen as a disappointment given their spending
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