After losing the Premier League title, coach Mikel Arteta admitted that Arsenal will need time to catch up with Man City's level.
"In the end, it wasn't enough, and I know that Arsenal are not at the level of Man City," Arteta said on May 22. "That won't change in the next three months, but we have to find other ways to do that. That's my job and that's what the club deserves."
Coach Arteta watches Arsenal players in action during the 0-1 loss to Nottingham at the City Ground on May 20. Photo: arsenal.com
Arsenal have led the Premier League for 93% of the season and were eight points clear of Man City at the start of April. But they have lost three of their last five games - the same number as their previous 32 games - and lost the top spot. Arsenal's match at Nottingham on Matchday 37 on 20 May saw Man City claim the title three games early.
"We are sad to lose the title," Arteta said. "For almost 11 months, we fought every day and tried to achieve our dream, but we lost it at the end. Arsenal should have been at our best, in the best shape in the last six games to take advantage of the moments and maintain the momentum. But we didn't do that."
According to Arteta, Arsenal gradually lost the advantage from two consecutive draws against Liverpool and West Ham, despite leading 2-0 in both matches. After that, the "Gunners" dropped points in four more matches - losing 0-3 to Brighton, 0-1 to Nottingham, 1-4 to Man City and drawing 3-3 with Southampton. He also sees the title miss this season as motivation to come back stronger in the 2023-2024 season.
The Spaniard said it was too early to judge the season as a whole and wanted to focus on winning when he hosts Wolves in the final round at the Emirates Stadium on May 28. "We have a huge responsibility to perform as well as we can in front of our home crowd, because of the support and encouragement they have given us throughout the season," Arteta said.
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