It isn't over, but it is
Those returning to the Emirates Stadium this year have noticed a curious phenomenon. Almost each time Arsenal have conceded the crowd have reacted positively. It would have been unthinkable in the latter days of Arsene Wenger or Unai Emery, but the confidence of the Gunners' faithful in their team's ability to comeback has been undeniable. On Sunday though, things were different.
The Emirates has been a cauldron for most of this season, but on Sunday it could barely manage a simmer. Manchester City's hope-sapping 11th Premier League victory in a row earlier in the day was probably the cause.
Arsenal had arguably shaded the first half. In a game that never really got going Leandro Trossard had still hit the bar, Martin Odegaard had seen a decent effort go close and Bukayo Saka's low strike had flashed inches wide of the post. On another day, that might have been enough to inspire the kind of belief that has seen memorable comebacks like Bournemouth, Southampton on Manchester United this season. As Julio Enciso headed home for Brighton this time though, there was no ear drum-busting roar of "come on" from the stands. Instead, the silence was deafening.
Reiss Nelson almost provided the match to spark things into life with a fierce effort that had Jason Steele worried. Ultimately though, the Emirates crowd had begun to empty long before Deniz Undav's lob over Aaron Ramsdale sealed a win for the impressive visitors. They knew the jig was up, and as Pervis Estupinan tapped home a late third the final nail was hammered into the coffin of Arsenal's title hopes.
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As the full-time whistle blew most of the Gunners players collapsed to the floor. If they had been given a sniff by City at Everton maybe they would have been able to muster something more befitting of such a momentous season, but instead they ultimately bowed out with a whimper.
"A really different feeling to the feeling that we all had last Sunday when we felt proud and we felt that we really did what we needed to win in certain moments," Mikel Arteta said after the game. "Today is completely the opposite. We have to apologise to our people especially for the second half."
The Spaniard refused to state that the race was officially over. You wouldn't really have expected him to say anything different. It might still mathematically be alive, but Arsenal's title hopes died on Sunday.
Home is where the horror is
There is a conversation to be had for Arsenal about their home record this season. For all the talk of how much of a fortress the Emirates has been, the Gunners have only kept three clean sheets in front of their own fans. While that has certainly led to some entertaining matches, the reality is that you cannot win the Premier League with such a poor record.
There are, as always mitigating circumstances. If Lee Mason had remembered to check for offside against Brentford the record would be four. It is ultimately unforgivable though.
Away from home Arsenal have been excellent for the most part. Maybe this speaks to an overcorrection of the poor record under Unai Emery and in the early days of Arteta on the road. When asked to explain the disparity though, the Spaniard was knowingly vague. "Many different factors," he said. "When you look at the goals we have conceded today, too simple."
The difference between home and away forms is always difficult to explain. That's only made harder when you factor in how supportive the Emirates faithful have been. It remains a huge issue for Arsenal though that could arguably be pointed to as a reason for their undoing this season. It's something they have to work on.
Uncomfortable conversations
Mikel Arteta is normally one to defend his players to the hilt after a defeat. The Spaniard has come out on several occasions this season to say that he loves his players even more after losses, and has even encouraged the press to target their bullets at him instead. This time he was in no mood to make such a sacrifice.
"We gave the game away in the second half," the Spaniard said in his post-match press conference. "We fought really hard to be in the position that we are in and today we were in a critical moment to keep hoping and digging for that dream. When you have to play in these moments you cannot do what we did in the second half. Then we have to look. If a team is capable of doing that when it comes to the biggest stage, there’s a lot of things to analyse and think about because it cannot happen."
It wasn't crystal clear. It never is with Arteta in press conferences. But the Spaniard appeared to be implying that when the crunch time of the season had arrived, his players had wilted away.
It raises some uncomfortable conversations that will undoubtedly take place over this summer. Under Arteta Arsenal have reached pressure points in a season on three occasions - the Europa League semi final against Villarreal, the race for last season's top four and this season's race for the title. Each time they have failed to get over the line.
Why is that? Well the honest answer is a number of factors. The lack of depth is probably the biggest factor. In each case, Arsenal have run out of players, which has certainly not helped the situation. But there is probably a question that could be asked about mentality too.
That shouldn't be mistaken for a critique of this young Arsenal group's character. All notions that Arsenal have bottled this title race are instantly dispelled by the fact that no one expected the Gunners to even be in it in the first place.
However, as Arteta seeks to build his squad for next season, it's hard not to wonder if the injection of some cooler heads into this squad might not help. Arsenal have title winners in Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, but they are an emotionally volatile pair. That has been useful at some stages this season, but Arsenal seek to board the first-class cabin, they need players who can act like they've been there before. Jorginho's calming influence has certainly been an example of that at times since his arrival.
It seems like we say this at the end of every season, but this summer will be massive for Arsenal. Through largely excellent recruitment they've been able to bridge a gap in 12 months that people thought it could take decades to close. Edu has already begun planning, and character will be just as important as quality in the Gunners' recruitment.
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