Arsenal slipped to a third game without winning for the second time in two months after a dramatic late comeback against Southampton left them with a point at the Emirates Stadium. Having been two goals down heading into the final minutes of the game it still felt like too-little-too-late.
It is the third draw in a row for Mikel Arteta's men, who have surrendered what was once an eight point gap at the top of the Premier League table. By Thursday morning the gap could be down to one point with Manchester City holding two games in hand.
It has only gone to increase the importance of Wednesday's game against Pep Guardiola's juggernaut, both physcologically and literally for the table. In the mean time it has served to prove Gary Neville's consistent predictions throughout the season with some truth.
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The former Manchester United defender has made a lot of enemies within the fanbase having long gone against the grain this season with predicitons largely going against the Gunners. That started to switch ahead of the 2-2 draw at Anfield though. Before the first of two 2-2 draws, he said: "If you go and win at Anfield, they'll definitely win the league."
It was the first time he had seemed to give true consideration to Arsenal finishing top come the end of May. "I thought you would blow up," he admitted. "You haven’t so well done."
That came just several months after truly angering the Emirates Stadium faithful. "No, [Arsenal] won’t win the league. Manchester City will win the league and I think Manchester United will finish second and I know that’ll annoy Arsenal fans," he said. Since then Manchester United have stuttered and Arsenal had been looking as strong as ever.
Once more things have changed though. After the draw to Liverpool Neville reiterated his standpoint. "This game was absolutely wonderful and we’ve got six more weeks left of this [title race]. I have thought all the way through that Man City would just edge it.
"I haven’t changed my opinion after today or even altered it slightly because I still think there will be points dropped from each side, but I think Arsenal will drop more points. Mikel Arteta will be proud of his players tonight.
"I would be proud of them. But he will also know they’ve got a hell of a period coming up. They go to Man City, Newcastle, West Ham, they’re all difficult games.
"City have got some difficult ones too and there will be a lot more moments where Arsenal feel like the whole world is watching them.
"The whole football world was watching them today and they weren’t disappointed. They made a few mistakes but all in all Arsenal fans should be pretty happy and proud with that.
"This is not a time to lose doubt, you can lose or draw here in any season. This is a terror of a game to have in a title run-in."
With the resultant points dropped against West Ham and then Southampton to come, Neville's prediciton has come true so far. City are yet to blink though and have nine wins in their past 10 games.
Neville's Sky colleague Roy Keane agrees with Neville and said after last weekend's game: "Again, you could see they [Arsenal] lose possession in midfield, they get punished and the momentum changes so I think it’s a huge moment in the championship race. Put it this way, Pep [Guardiola], his staff and his players will have been cheering that result on today - that is a big moment.
"We keep saying there is a long way to go, but there’s not really. We’re running out of games and the more mistakes you make now at this stage it’s going to be more costly.
"I think it was huge points dropped for Arsenal today. Arsenal have no distractions so this is let’s go for the league title.
"We’re now saying the squad, they looked tired at the end, they were hanging in there last week against Liverpool, that’s not a great message to say they’re up for the fight and enjoying it.
"It’s obviously playing tricks in their heads now and they’re lacking that something - the word we always use with Man City, and Arsenal are lacking it, is composure.
"Particularly in winning positions, which can happen. They can still go on and win it, they’re in a fantastic position if they just keep their heads and have a bit of composure.
"But again, the question was if they were to finish second, it would be a huge disappointment for Arsenal."
Carragher has joined those two in agreeing that it is proof of a loss of nerve. "Some of the football we saw in that first 30 minutes was outstanding, and very reminiscent of last week as well.
"West Ham couldn’t get near Arsenal, the football they were playing, they were very incisive and showing great composure. They don’t panic, make the right pass and it [Jesus’ goal] looks like a training ground goal really, Ben White, we’ve seen that so often and Jesus at the back post, he was so outstanding himself in that first half.
"What I would say is when you’re in the run-in for the title there is always that question mark against a team who’ve not won it before of have they got the nerve? When they lose a game like this, or drop points like they did this week and last week, have they bottled it?
"This idea that Arsenal have bottled it or haven’t held their nerve, I think it’s completely the opposite. When you’re talking about someone who is getting nervous in the run-in, you can’t play as well as they did in the first half an hour at Anfield or in the first half an hour of this game if they’re going into that game tense, worried about fixtures, worried about City.
"The problem that Arsenal have had in the last two weeks is they got complacent, they got cocky. That game was so easy - I was commentating on the game - I couldn’t believe there was a way West Ham could get back in the game."
Arsenal allowed bottom of the league Southampton twice on Friday. For a young side it appears entirely understandable but with the pressure-cooker of a title race looming over them it's not something that can be afforded. Neville and Co, at least so far, appear to have been proven right with their assessments.
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