Considered title contenders before and at the start of the season, Arsenal’s Premier League campaign has hit a plateau.
No thanks to some uncharacteristic lethargic showing and surrendering leads to top sides late on in three games, the Gunners find themselves nine points adrift of league leaders Liverpool who have 28 points after 11 matches.
In these three games against what many consider Mikel Arteta’s men’s rivals, Arsenal looked like they were running away with all three points after taking the lead in the second half.
However, owing to some poor defending and momentary loss of concentration, these sides have snatched draws from last season’s league runners-up, frustrating their push for a first-ever domestic title since 2004.
This post highlights the three matches the Gunners have come short at the cusp of victory.
The most recent of Arsenal’s three big games where they surrendered leads was at the Stamford Bridge. Arteta’s boys went into the match on the back of a three-match winless run in the league.
Needing a victory to bolster their chances in the title race, Arsenal looked like they were in it for the full points. Gabriel Martinelli beat Robert Sanchez in his near post in the 60th minute to silence the baying home crowd in London.
But ten minutes later, Pedro Neto drilled through the Arsenal midfield and sent a low shot past David Raya to peg back the Gunners who later missed a last-minute winner. The game ended 1-1, leaving Arteta ruing his side’s inability to see out the match.
Salah Silences Emirates Stadium (Liverpool Vs Arsenal, October 27, 2024)
Two weeks before that, Liverpool twice came from behind to earn a precious point at the Emirates Stadium.
The league leaders visited North London and went behind just nine minutes into the game after star winger Bukayo scored a stunner. It, however, took Liverpool the same amount of time to level things up. Virgil van Dirk’s flicker did the magic for Arne Slot’s Anfield team.
Arsenal new boy Mikel Merino thought his header had given the North London club their win on that day. But talismanic Mohamed Salah dispatched the ball with a first-time finish to earn Liverpool a 2-2 draw.
A ‘Stone’ Throw Away From Victory (September 22, 2024)
Earlier, Arsenal had met Manchester City, determined to prove a point at the Etihad Stadium having lost the league in the last two campaigns to Pep Guardiola’s charges.
The 10-man Gunners were on the verge of earning a statement win after goals from Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel Magalhães cancelled out Erling Haaland’s opener.
However, with potentially the last kick of the match, John Stones tucked the ball into the net in the 98th minute, sending the home crowd roaring into raptures.