When will Arteta be sacked by

[Letters]

IF we blow the title? That was started at Anfield last week and finished today at the London Stadium.

Have we “blown it” though?
Last week was disappointing but Liverpool have an excellent home record and while yes we were 2-0 up, Liverpool certainly had the chances to win it. You can just as equally look at it as a point gained as 2 points dropped. Today was certainly a balls up, but any normal teams has days like this. But City aren’t normal, they are just relentless. Since they beat us they drew at Forest - and they absolutely battered them, it’s a minor miracle that ended 1-1. And they’ve won the rest. All while cruising through FA Cup and CL rounds like they’re not there.
They’re a jugganaut who are mowing us down. We’ve not exactly collapsed, we won 7 in a row and City just kept pace with us. We always knew that injuries would affect us more than them.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Have we “blown it” though?
Last week was disappointing but Liverpool have an excellent home record and while yes we were 2-0 up, Liverpool certainly had the chances to win it. You can just as equally look at it as a point gained as 2 points dropped. Today was certainly a balls up, but any normal teams has days like this. But City aren’t normal, they are just relentless. Since they beat us they drew at Forest - and they absolutely battered them, it’s a minor miracle that ended 1-1. And they’ve won the rest. All while cruising through FA Cup and CL rounds like they’re not there.
They’re a jugganaut who are mowing us down. We’ve not exactly collapsed, we won 7 in a row and City just kept pace with us. We always knew that injuries would affect us more than them.

Anfield was forgivable but disappointing

To replay the same mistake twice in a week is unforgivable

[Letters]

We are again starting to exhibit the same "2nd is alright" mentality that kept Wenger here a decade too long.

Not really. The context is a side who collapsed when top 4 was in our hands last season and who finished 24 points off the title. If anyone has told me that with 7 games to go the title was not only mathematically possible but actually in our hands I’d have laughed in their stupid faces.
We have been brilliant pretty much all season and while I agree we won’t get a better chance of the title, I don’t feel that 2nd is completely unacceptable in the context of where we’ve been the last few years. It’s disappointing to miss out, certainly, but I just don’t know how you compete with the jugganaut that is City. We’ve done well to go toe to toe with them for as long as we have, it’s not exactly a disgrace to finish 2nd to them.
There certainly is room for improvement and we need to bolster the squad to cope with the CL this season; but you can’t ignore pre season expectations and the context of the last few years when assessing this season.

[Letters]

Anfield was forgivable but disappointing

To replay the same mistake twice in a week is unforgivable

I’m not defending today’s balls up.
I hope Arteta has laid in to them and they respond.
But every team in every season has the occasional slips. All except City who just…don’t. Not got nothing have they won 4 out of the last 5 titles. Liverpool have got over 90 points twice and not won it. The Invincibles probably wouldn’t have won it against this City team. It’s insane.
So while sure, today wasn’t good enough, I can’t really fault our efforts this season and if City weren’t at this level - and we all know how they’ve got there - I think we’d have won the title this year. And as I said above, in the context of where we’ve been it’s been a remarkable effort from us this year

[HCZ_Reborn]

I’m not defending today’s balls up.
I hope Arteta has laid in to them and they respond.
But every team in every season has the occasional slips. All except City who just…don’t. Not got nothing have they won 4 out of the last 5 titles. Liverpool have got over 90 points twice and not won it. The Invincibles probably wouldn’t have won it against this City team. It’s insane.
So while sure, today wasn’t good enough, I can’t really fault our efforts this season and if City weren’t at this level - and we all know how they’ve got there - I think we’d have won the title this year. And as I said above, in the context of where we’ve been it’s been a remarkable effort from us this year

In fairness we are talking about today rather than the whole season. We said back in October/November that we didn’t expect to win it but if we were in contention but missed out we would be quite disgruntled. This has been something we didn’t dare hope entertain.

It’s possible both to consider this season a spectacular achievement and a big disappointment

[selassie]

This is an outlier of a season for us. bit like Leicester winning it in 2016. They were winning at a canter and started to stumble in the last 6 games or so. What saved that season want so much themselves but the other chasing teams bottling it in the last with everyone taking points off each other. The same reason we went from CL places to 2nd in the last 2 games. None of us saw this season coming last September. I see no basis for a challenge nest season, I hope Im wrong.

No this is nothing like the Leicester season. For a start, back then there wasn't a dominant team, now we have Man City, serial title winners, they have won 4 of the last 5. For the past 5 seasons, it has been City and Liverpool going toe to toe, bar one season. This season it's City and us, that's really the only thing that has changed because there has only been 2 teams that have fought for titles.

Admittedly other fancied teams like Chelsea and Liverpool are struggling, but the one thing that remains the same is City fighting for the title. To win the title these days you have to be near perfect, it's why Liverpool have come second so many seasons despite amassing 90+ points or close to it.

I personally think Arteta has built up a very good squad that is young and hungry. We play very exciting Football now, second only really to Man City. I don't think this is a outlier season for us. I believe if we continue to recruit well we will be challenging for titles going forward.

Nobody expected us to improve this much including me, but the proof is there for all to see. We are not perfect, far from it. But we look in very good shape to challenge going forward. We need to make sure our recruitment is spot on to say at this current level though and we need further improvement from the current squad. They are young, the potential is there.

[Letters]

It’s possible both to consider this season a spectacular achievement and a big disappointment

That’s exactly how I see it.
We’ve been brilliant this season and for it all to be for naught is a bitter disappointment.
Especially given I’ve always felt it’s now or never, City aren’t going away, other teams are building or rebuilding.
Re our exchange in the match thread, my head has always thought that City would ultimately steamroll us, but at times my heart has allowed the possibility that we might do it.
After the Spurs and Utd games I did start to dream. Then we had The Wobble™. After the City game I thought it was all over, you don’t lose at home to your rivals and win the title. But…our response has been fantastic, you can’t argue with 7 wins in a row. But City just keep coming at us.
We’ve wobbled again, City will probably overtake us on the home straight. But as bad as today was it hasn’t (so far) been a completely unacceptable collapse.

[mandela8]

Arteta's subs are fuckin mental, man.

Last week it was trying to shut up shop on 79 minutes taking the only decent outlets we had off, just inviting more pressure.

This week it was taking Jesus and Odegaard off when we needed a goal.

Just baffling.

Players like Saka and Xhaka who offer absolutely nothing remain untouchable. It's almost self sabotage. I can normally rationalize bad (ones I don't agree with) decisions but I'm at a loss today.

[Marc Overmars]

In fairness we are talking about today rather than the whole season. We said back in October/November that we didn’t expect to win it but if we were in contention but missed out we would be quite disgruntled. This has been something we didn’t dare hope entertain.

It’s possible both to consider this season a spectacular achievement and a big disappointment

Wouldn’t quite say finishing 2nd is a spectacular achievement but I get the sentiment. This is probably the first season in 20 years that we’ve all seen and felt a real, tangible improvement. We’ve taken some great strides forward this season and Arteta should be commended for that. Though some of his tactical decisions have been bizarre to say the least…

Unfortunately history isn’t going to remember that Arsenal were really good in 22/23 unless we see this through and that’s why it’s going to be a crushing disappointment, especially as we’ve been on top practically the whole season.

To win the league now you have to be near perfect or hope Man City fall off a cliff, which isn’t going to happen while Pep is around. It’s ridiculous but that’s just where the bar is at currently. I wouldn’t be surprised if they won the treble to boot.

[Chippy]

Anfield was forgivable but disappointing

To replay the same mistake twice in a week is unforgivable

In addition, our defending leading to their penalty was shocking. Especially the challenge by Gabriel. He is a bloody liability. A more reliable central defender is needed in the summer.