Arsenal showed signs of panic as they prepared for the Premier League final against Man City, having lost three of their last four matches.
Arsenal in panic
The "monster" is coming. Mikel Arteta is starting to tremble. In just one month, the landscape has changed dramatically in the Premier League race between Arsenal and Man City.
After Arsenal's hard-fought victory against Brighton (1-0) and Man City's disastrous draw against Nottingham Forest (2-2), the gap between the two teams was also 6 points. But the feeling was completely different.
London fans were dreaming of winning the Premier League title after 22 years, while Man City seemed to have given up the race when Murillo cleared the ball off the goal line, saving them in the final minutes.
Pep Guardiola once said he "would like to be in Arsenal's position," but in reality, Man City's current second place position is not bad at all.
Now, Man City are back in control of their own destiny in the title race. The reason is clear: they are winning relentlessly, while Arsenal are constantly stumbling. Arteta's team has truly fallen into a state of panic – once again.
Previously, their style of play had shown signs of stagnation, but the results were still decent. Now, however, there's nothing left. Arsenal no longer play well, nor do they know how to win. This is the complete opposite of Man City.
In round 32, Arsenal's deserved and dismal defeat against Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth stood in stark contrast to Manchester City's easy and convincing victory over Chelsea.
Two matches, two contrasting performances, further deepening doubts about Arsenal and igniting hope for the Manchester team – especially with what lies ahead.
“It’s really disappointing. We did too many strange things. It hurts, but we have to accept it and get back up. Now we can only fight, otherwise we’ll be out of the game. This level demands it,” Arteta stated frankly after the slip-up against Bournemouth.
The "punch to the face" he referred to has become a mental boost for a Manchester City team that is returning to its familiar form. They are a destructive force when spring arrives in England.
The sunshine of Man City
Guardiola also offered his own explanation: “The sunshine… No, I’m not kidding. It’s rarely sunny in Manchester. If it were sunny in November, we would have won the title in January. It’s the sunshine, really. The atmosphere is better.”
And he wasn't exactly joking. Under Guardiola, Man City won 29 out of 32 Premier League matches in April. Conversely, this was the most difficult month for Arteta's Arsenal , with a win rate of just over 40%. Nothing is a coincidence.
Even Liam Gallagher – a die-hard Man City fan – seized the opportunity to mock the "nervousness" spreading in North London.
Man City have been repeatedly considered "out of contention" this season, but now they are closer to Arsenal than ever before. According to prediction platforms, Arsenal's chances of winning the title have dropped from 91% to 56% after their defeat to Bournemouth.
This defeat was even more painful than losing two trophies in two weeks (League Cup and FA Cup).
Man City still need to win all their remaining matches. But they have a game in hand at home against Crystal Palace, and more importantly, the chance to deliver a decisive blow to Arsenal at the Etihad.
This weekend (10:30 PM on April 19th), after Arsenal's poor performance in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals (a 0-0 draw against Sporting Lisbon), Guardiola will host his former pupil Arteta.
There are still five rounds left in the Premier League, but if you had to choose one match that could be considered a "final," it would be this one. Why? It's very simple: Arsenal haven't won at the Etihad since Guardiola took over at Man City.
In other words, Arteta has never won all three points at his former manager's home ground: in 5 away matches, he has recorded 2 draws and 3 losses, scoring 4 goals and conceding 11.
A red alert has been sounding in North London for some time, but it's now intensifying. The current drama is entirely justified.
Arsenal had lost only 3 of their 49 games before this disastrous three-week run, and they still reached the Champions League semi-finals unbeaten. But the shadow of Man City is looming large.
The rest of England – not Arsenal fans – began mentioning a familiar football verb: “to bottle” (to squander an opportunity, to collapse at a crucial moment).