Mikel Arteta has expressed his deep disappointment after Arsenal once again missed out on winning the Premier League title, marking a third consecutive season where the Gunners fell short.
The latest blow came after Liverpool’s convincing 5-1 victory over Tottenham on Sunday, a result that secured the title for the Merseyside club with four matches still to play.
Arsenal’s failure to clinch the top spot, despite pushing Manchester City to the limit in recent seasons, has left Arteta feeling the weight of another near-miss. While the Spanish manager congratulated Liverpool for their achievement, he admitted that the loss was hard to accept.
“I understand that (Liverpool) are a team that is being more consistent and they have a lot of ingredients that you need to win it, but it’s very painful,” Arteta said. He also noted, “I take the opportunity as well to congratulate Liverpool and what they’ve done in the manner that they’ve done, how consistent they’ve been. And I think they fully deserve to win it. They were the better team. They had so many attributes. They had consistently their squad available.”
Despite the pain, Arteta was determined to look ahead, noting that Arsenal’s pursuit of success isn’t over yet. “And we’re going to try again. But up to that moment next season, now we’re going to have to finish the season very strong.”
Arsenal’s hopes of securing the Premier League crown have been hampered by a series of injuries to key players. With six first-team members still sidelined, Arteta has faced significant challenges in maintaining a full-strength squad.
This injury crisis has notably affected their recent performances, including their 1-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
In discussing the ongoing injury problems, Arteta reflected on a moment that underscored the extent of his team’s difficulties. “I was very shocked just before the game against PSG at home because I was walking into the dressing room and suddenly I saw all of them together sitting,” he recalled.
“It was (Takehiro) Tomiyasu, next to him (Riccardo) Calafiori, next to him Gabriel Magalhaes, next to him Thomas Partey, next to him Kai Havertz, next to him Gabriel Jesus, next to him Jorginho. I said, ‘That’s a starting line-up’. And we don’t have them. We haven’t had them for many, many months. And then I felt joy about the team and what they are doing and how they’re trying and nobody’s talking about it in the building at all.”
Looking ahead, Arteta has set his sights on securing second place in the Premier League, which would guarantee Arsenal a spot in next season’s Champions League. With just four games remaining, the Gunners are five points ahead of third-placed Newcastle, and Arteta is focused on finishing the season strong to secure that valuable position.
