Surely Arsenal aren’t actually going to bottle it. Right?

All year, I — like most sensible football fans — have been utterly convinced Arsenal were going to win the league. Liverpool proved as early as October that they were clearly not up to the task of defending their title. City, whilst markedly improved from last season, were clearly not at their scintillating best. Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, whilst perhaps not the most interesting team to watch, were showing no kinks in their armour. Having finally signed the striker they have so desperately needed for the last couple of seasons in Viktor Gyokores and enjoying a commanding lead in the league table, it seemed inevitable as recently as last month that Arteta’s side would deliver the Emirates Stadium the Premier League Trophy for the first time since the ‘invincibles’ of 2003/04.

Yet, in the space of three games, the narrative surrounding Arsenal has been flipped on its head. Having picked up form and strengthened over January, Manchester City were the only team with the slightest chance of taking advantage of any Arsenal slip ups in the Premier League, and it was little surprise that the two best teams in the country both reached the Carabao Cup final before the March international break. There’s no shame in losing a cup final to City, but Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat allowed the media to hope that the loss might have implications for the Premier League title race. Still, Arsenal were nine points clear and in the quarter finals of both the FA Cup and the Champions League.

The term ‘bottlers’ has been thrown around a lot to describe Arteta’s Arsenal in recent years 

There were very few better opportunities Arsenal could have had than Southampton, a championship side, to bounce back and remind the nation they were a different Arsenal. So, naturally, they lost 2-1. Worse, this was no smash and grab – Tonda Eckert’s men fully deserved their win, and truth be told could easily have had more. Then, last Saturday, Arteta and Arsenal followed it up with a 2-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth – again, not a freak result. The Cherries, under the stewardship of outgoing coach Andoni Iraola, were deserving victors and Manchester City’s 3-0 win at Chelsea cut the gap to six points to heap even more pressure on Arteta’s men. Worse, due to City’s game in hand, it now means the title is in City’s hands. Given the Cityzens have won five of the last seven titles, there is no team — and no manager — you would want to leave the door open for in a title race.

So somehow, despite being comfortably the best side in the league, Arsenal are back here again. The term ‘bottlers’ has been thrown around a lot to describe Arteta’s Arsenal in recent years, and it’s true that they are no strangers to failing to deliver at the business end of the season. In 2021/22, Arsenal enjoyed the advantage in a battle with local rivals Spurs for Champions League qualification, but dropped 12 points in their final eight games, including a 3-0 humiliation away at Spurs, knowing even a point would have all but secured qualification. Ultimately, they fell short and came fifth. The next season, when Arsenal found themselves in a title fight with Manchester City for the first time, they spent 248 days on the top of the table, while Guardiola’s men were there less than only a month. Unfortunately, that month was May, and City comfortably won the title by five points after an embarrassing run-in for the Gunners saw them drop points away at West Ham, at home to relegated Southampton (who picked up just three points in their final 13 matches), Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, and Brighton, as well as suffer a 4-1 humbling away at City. Having controlled the pace for the majority of the year, Arsenal had thrown their season away — but this was a young squad that hadn’t been expecting to be in title contention.

The next year, Arsenal again had things in their hands with six games to play — but they lost to former manager Unai Emery’s Aston Villa side at home and City pipped them to the title by three points. Although Arsenal’s 23/24 season would have seen them win the title on goal difference the previous year, they were left to rue another missed opportunity. The next year, City fell off a cliff, however, and were lucky to even qualify for the Champions League. Liverpool became Arsenal’s de facto title challengers, but could only muster 84 points, a tally that would not have been enough to win the league in any season since 2016. Surely, then, it was finally Arsenal’s time to ascend to the summit. Well…no. They drew a stunning 14 games and finished 10 points adrift, in a season that marked the five year anniversary of Arsenal’s last trophy — NINE English clubs have won a major trophy more recently, including Leicester City, who look likely to spend next season in the third tier with Bromley and Mansfield Town.

Arsenal were booed off [against Bournemouth], beaten and no longer able to ignore the looming spectre of City gaining on them 

This year, then, is more than just a title fight for Arsenal. It’s a quest for vindication for Arteta and his men. Finally, something to show for the billion pounds spent on new players over the last decade: a trophy to provide tangible reward after so many near misses. And before last Saturday’s defeat, it looked like they would finally enjoy that success this season. But after the disappointments against City and Southampton, the Emirates crowd was nervous, and the team proved them right to be so on the pitch. Arsenal were booed off, beaten and no longer able to ignore the looming spectre of City gaining on them in the rear view mirror.

One Arsenal supporting friend of mine not only deleted his social media for a few days after both the Southampton and Bournemouth losses but removed the SIM card from his phone — such was his panic over the threat Arsenal could bottle it again, something he acknowledges demonstrates “the maturity of an underdeveloped pre-schooler” but will nonetheless do again should Arsenal look like completing the bottle. This, sadly, is indicative of a wider mindset surrounding Arsenal. You need only scroll through the videos, comments and posts of AFTV, Arsenal’s fan platform, which is the largest of its kind in the world, to see the immense frustration and negativity directed toward Arteta and his side. After failing to deliver in the last three years, fans are petrified Arsenal will throw it away again.

Not only were the fans nervous Arsenal could bottle it again against Bournemouth, but the team were as well. In a word, they looked…scared. Out of ideas when the going got tough. They could have no complaints about the wider scoreline. Yet again, when faced with the opportunity to win crucial games in April and May, Arteta’s side looked toothless and unable to do what winning teams do at the business end of the season. Arsenal’s players are unquestionably feeling the pressure.

Manchester City vs. Arsenal is, without doubt, the biggest game of the season so far 

Whilst progressing to the semi finals of the Champions League on Wednesday may have provided some respite, it will mean nothing if they cannot deliver when they return to Premier League action at Manchester City on Sunday. This is, without doubt, the biggest game of the season so far. Although City have a game in hand, Arsenal still enjoy a six point advantage over Guardiola’s side, and know a draw would leave the title’s destiny firmly in their hands going into the final five games of the season. Three years ago, however, when Arsenal travelled to City needing a result to salvage their season, they crumbled under the pressure and were run ragged by a ruthless City, who ran out 4-1 winners. This is Arsenal’s biggest test since then.

If Guardiola’s men can repeat the trick this weekend, Arsenal’s season will not be over, but it will be a hammer blow not just to their title ambitions, but levels of self-belief. Six years of building, five years without tangible success, over a billion pounds invested into the squad…it’s all been leading to this. Will Arsenal finally overcome the voices clearly in their heads and drag themselves over the line to a first title in 22 years (over five years before winger Max Dowman was even born), or will the pressure get to them when it matters the most. If it does, one has to wonder if they will ever be able to exercise their demons and shake off the ‘bottlers’ tag.

Sunday’s game is the biggest of Arteta’s managerial career so far. Whether he and Arsenal can arrest the slide and see this title over the line will define them. Failure is not an option for Arsenal this season. They simply cannot go trophyless again: it’s time to step up to the plate and deliver — or allow a catastrophe that will haunt them for generations to come.