Mikel Arteta believes the timing of accidents that hit his squad late within the season in the end value Arsenal of their bid to carry off Manchester City and win the Premier League.
The workforce’s collapse largely coincided with a again harm sustained by defender William Saliba throughout their Europa League exit to Sporting Lisbon in March, with stand-in centre-back Rob Holding struggling to match the usual set by his team-mate.
Arsenal have been additionally with out strikers Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah, defenders Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu and midfielder Mohamed Elneny for big elements of the season as they have been ultimately chased down by City regardless of main the desk for 248 days.
It fingers the membership the undesirable document of essentially the most variety of days spent prime of the league with out turning into champions.
Collecting simply 9 factors from their final eight video games extinguished the problem from Arteta’s facet, however the supervisor pointed to a few attracts in April – away at Liverpool and West Ham and at dwelling to bottom-side Southampton – because the interval the place vital harm was carried out to their title hopes.
The Gunners threw away two-goal leads at Anfield and the London Stadium earlier than gifting Saints a 3-1 lead on the Emirates, from which they might not get well to win.
Arteta felt his workforce ought to have crushed all three opponents despite Saliba’s absence, however famous that the title was normally gained by sides that didn’t endure the unhealthy luck with accidents that hit Arsenal this season.
“There were a few things (that caused the collapse) because we could have won at least three of the games that we drew without Willy and two of them really comfortably,” stated Arteta. “But we didn’t.
“We had some critical moments where we didn’t maximise the opportunity that we had in front of us. You have to arrive at this stage with 24 fit players in the best condition, ready to go.
“It happened last season. In the last stages we lost three or four key players and it’s happened this season.
“It’s a big lesson, because when you look who wins and how doesn’t win, they have the 24 of them with the knife in the teeth, ready to go physically and mentally, all going for it and they can have real momentum. We didn’t have that again.
“Timing is everything. Moments define the season in your own way and for opponents. That’s dictated by many, many, many factors and you have to acknowledge that. There are certain things you don’t control and certain other things not.
“We fail in certain (moments) in our control, but I’m sure there are things we could have done different or better.”
Arteta was requested whether or not he feared for Arsenal’s prospects of difficult once more subsequent season, given the difficulties that Liverpool have endured this marketing campaign after pushing City to the ultimate day final May.
Jurgen Klopp’s workforce have did not make the highest 4 regardless of ending some extent behind the champions final season after a pulsating title race.
As effectively because the lack of key gamers and feeling the affect of an ageing workforce, it had been instructed that there had been a psychological hangover at Anfield from final yr’s pursuit of Pep Guardiola’s facet.
“Whatever we do now in the last game and what we’ve done in the last week is just to build into what is going to happen afterwards,” stated Arteta.
“Painting a very clear picture of where we want to go and who wants to be part of that journey.”
The supervisor additionally reiterated his dedication to the membership after a yr through which his private inventory has risen significantly.
He added: “I am very happy here, I’m very happy with my contract. Let’s move on and let’s have a great season again.”