Under the guidance of Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have been on an impressive run of form and results, making them strong contenders for the crown this season. This would mark their first win in almost 20 years.
For most of the season, Arteta's team led the rankings and had an impressive lead of eight points over the defending champions, Manchester City. Nevertheless, a sequence of catastrophic outcomes during the final phase of the competition caused the North London team to withdraw from the race, providing City with a substantial advantage in the conflict.
On Sunday, May 14, Arsenal's chances of winning the title were dashed entirely when they suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium by Brighton.
The hosts were defeated by the goals scored by..., causing them to fall behind City by four points in the standings.
Neville explained what contributed to Arsenal's inability to win the championship this season, as the team's chances of being crowned champions are slim to none.
On Twitter, the renowned defender, who had been foreseeing Arsenal's downfall for quite some time, explained why the residents of Emirates had no hope of winning the title race against City.
Neville tweeted:
"Although Arsenal had a successful season, they encountered difficulties and found it challenging to persevere. The current narrative suggests that City's strength, injuries, and challenging schedule are the reasons for its success. These are typical factors that must be considered in any championship race. In 7 games, Arsenal's points have decreased by 12, only winning 9 points out of a possible 21. The telltale signs of excess are evident: a decline in performance, surrendering leads, waning vigor and stamina, committing uncharacteristic errors, younger players succumbing to pressure and losing their creativity, and some exhibiting excessive emotion instead of composure."
He added that while he comprehends the reason behind the desire to employ less emotional language by 2023, it is imperative to acknowledge the impact of pressure in a high-performance and elite setting.
In addition, It is easy to see that the team has a limited number of players and lacks sufficient backup options.
Arsenal has fewer bench options than the other teams in the top-four race. They cannot afford to rest players, even when playing against relegation zone teams. While other teams are not necessarily doing so, Spurs and Man United have more freedom to rotate their players.
To a certain degree, Arteta is responsible for this situation. He permitted up to six key players to depart during the January transfer window, either on loan or permanently. Cedric has been a dependable substitute for Takehiro Tomiyasu, who is currently sidelined. However, the Japanese defender was considerably more secure defensively than his replacement.
Similarly, Emile Smith Rowe, their leading scorer this season, has only been given one opportunity to start in the last five Premier League matches. He has been absent from two games due to physical concerns. Nicolas Pepe has not provided sufficient goals or assists, and the situation is identical for Eddie Nketiah.
In What Way Did Injuries Affect the Final Stretch?
In the absence of their star center-back, Arsenal's defense has become exposed. Statistics reveal that they now allow more than twice the amount of goals per game without Saliba. However, the impact of his absence extends well beyond the team's defensive stability.
Due to his inferior distribution skills compared to his teammate Saliba, Rob Holding has been standing in for him. This has resulted in Arsenal experiencing setbacks. Holding's tendency to favor playing the ball towards the left instead of the right has also led to a decline in Bukayo Saka's impact during the final stretch of games.
Despite being the star of this Arsenal team, Saka has only scored one goal and provided one assist in the past eight games. This decline in performance is significant for one of Arsenal's most productive players, resulting in the team's inability to score at a critical stage of the season.
Although Arsenal's personnel changes were relatively minor compared to the frequent rotation seen at City, they caused a shift in style that ultimately hurt their season.