Arsenal’s Premier League title tilt has stalled in recent weeks, with the Gunners dropping four points in the last two games. This has allowed Manchester City to close the gap to just four points, with Arsenal having played a game more than their rivals. Mikel Arteta’s men have not won a league game at Liverpool since 2012 and were 2-0 ahead before being caught and then had to hang on for a draw. They made the same mistake at West Ham on Sunday, racing two goals up inside ten minutes only to take their foot off the gas, concede twice, miss a penalty and drop another couple of points.
The club will be hoping that William Saliba’s back injury suffered in the Europa League defeat to Sporting Lisbon will not keep him out of the top-of-the-table clash with City at the Etihad Stadium on April 26. However, if he is not fit then Arsenal’s faltering backline, which was also without Oleksandr Zinchenko at West Ham, may struggle to contain Erling Haaland.
Before the two sides meet, Arsenal host rock-bottom Southampton on Friday night and Arteta will want to get the mentality right heading into that game and make sure, if his side find themselves ahead, they finish the job and – with City in FA Cup semi-final action – extend their lead at the top. If Arsenal do miss out on the title, it would be a shattering blow but such a stellar season should still be a source of pride. They have the youngest squad in the division, players who have bought into Arteta’s ethos and have kept a rampant City team at arm’s length. If their season does ultimately end in tears, they will have huge motivation and greater experience for the next campaign.