Manchester City are now leading the Premier League title after beating Arsenal 4-1. Credit: Getty Images/Michael Regan
It remains to be seen how history will favor Arsenal's great choke in 2023.
Six points on three straight draws followed by a crushing away defeat against Manchester City can still end up proving to be a flash. But it could also be a deeper scar; constant reminder.
But, firstly, Arsenal, if this is not forgotten, came off two points from the top of the Premier League. While City have two games to go and while momentum has undeniably shifted so decisively towards the champions, Arsenal are still in it. West Ham United, if they hadn't somehow managed to come back 3-1 against the league's worst team, Southampton, before saving the draw, how different today would have been. If, if, if… three painful ifs, and it's not embellishment. The draws against West Ham and Southampton were terrible results.
If Arsenal had turned those three draws into wins, they would have had an eight-point lead. Their fate, with five games left, will still be in their own hands. City couldn't do anything about it even if they got the most out of their remaining seven matches.
Arsenal could afford to go to the Etihad and be defeated. They could have lost to City in the league 7-2 on aggregate, as they did, and still win.
The label of chokers is applied instead, even if, again, it happens in the campaign, where the height of Arsenal's ambition seemed to be to finish in the top four. No closer to winning your first title in two painful decades.
All careers, especially sports ones, can be reduced to several images, both glorious and often, unfortunately, cruel. Just ask Steven Gerrard, whose blunder that allowed Demba Ba to score for Chelsea happened nine years ago on a Thursday and helped Liverpool smash hopes of winning the title for the first time since 1990.
Liverpool didn't choke — they won 10 of their last 12 league games and drew another — but the miss came at the wrong time, especially as it was followed by a 3-0 defeat and a draw against Crystal Palace and «Kristanbul». and the narrative was shaped when City defeated them and became champions instead.
So there was one painful round-by-round stat after the final whistle at Etihad on Wednesday, when Opta claimed Arsenal were the first team to go four consecutive matches without a win in the Premier League, starting with a daily high in every match since March 2008. of the year. .And which side did it then? Arsenal, of course.
They were five points behind, but their resolve seemed to falter when Eduardo broke his leg so horribly under Martin Taylor's call-up against Birmingham City.
It was the first of four consecutive draws before an away defeat to Chelsea, and a theory arose that Arsene Wenger's Arsenal showed a tendency to choke when pressured on them.
The enduring image of captain William Gallas sat alone on the pitch and refused to budge after the final whistle until ordered to do so by Wenger, who eight years later was still protesting that Arsenal were not a serial choke player.
William Gallas sitting on the pitch in Birmingham was one of the highlights of the 2007-08 season. Photo: PA/Nick Potts
It also came as Arsenal had been fading heavily in previous title races, not least in 2010–11 when they once again seemed determined to usurp Manchester United only to finish fourth. and 12 points behind the pace. The reason for the collapse was another game against Birmingham — a shock defeat in the League Cup final of that season.
When Arsenal were again five points clear in November 2013, it prompted United striker Wayne Rooney to say: «We saw before they were in the first pair until February or March and then disappeared.» This was the season City won their second title under Abu Dhabi.
After losing five of their last 10 games, including two of their last three last season, they were eliminated from the Champions League places at least Arsenal have to ensure they finish strong. With a loss to City, they confirmed their top four finish for the first time since finishing second behind Leicester City in 2016. But so far this is not comforting.
If Arsenal fear they will once again enter the Premier League's pantheon of chokeholds — which does sound harsh, especially given the strength of the opposition they faced at Pep Guardiola's City — at least it won't be lumped together. with the collapse of Newcastle United in 1996.
In January, Newcastle beat United by 12 points, after which the capitulation became one of the most dramatic in the history of football. This time, the enduring image was Kevin Keegan's emotional breakdown in front of the cameras and the line, «I'd love it if we beat them. I love it.”
It didn't happen and since then Newcastle have never been so close to winning the title. Arsenal will be wary of this this season, even if their team and their development under Mikel Arteta appears to be built on a stronger foundation.
But April has been their toughest month ever, with just six points 15+, and as great as they have been this season, history is about to list them among other infamous flops.
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