Arsenal end the weekend 15 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool after a battling 1-1 draw away at Manchester United.
Injuries and a lack of potency in front of goal have hit Arsenal hard in recent weeks at exactly the point in the campaign where Arne Slot’s side have showed their ruthlessness.
The Gunners have ten games left to play in the 2024/25 EPL campaign, with Liverpool on nine, but the gap looks too big for Mikel Arteta’s side to launch a fightback at this stage.
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Bruno Fernandes’ superb free-kick put United in front against the run of play at Old Trafford but the visitors rallied after the break as Declan Rice curled home a fine leveller.
David Raya’s saves kept Arsenal in touch in the closing stages, but that familiar lack of cutting edge was apparent late on, as Arsenal failed to overhaul Ruben Amorim’s team.
Rice was pragmatic assessment of where the season now lies, as the England international hinted at a lack of experience costing the team at a key point in the season, in a mirror of the 2023/24 campaign.
“In the first half, we had some beautiful bits of play but didn’t have that cutting edge. In the second half, we were very naive and almost gave the game to United,” as per quotes from BBC Sport.
“We scored seven goals in midweek, that’s not luck. PSV hadn’t lost at home for two years. Man United did well and sat in a low block, there wasn’t much in the game.
“The chance at the end with Bruno [Fernandes] and David [Raya] making two great saves, that’s why I say that we’ve been naive. it was down to us and we could have thrown the game away.
“We’ll keep going until the end of the season. Liverpool have been amazing all year. We’re Arsenal and we’ll keep going.”
With the title seemingly in the rear-view mirror for Arteta now, the focus swings on to the Champions League, with Arsenal leading PSV Eindhoven 7-1 from their first leg win last week.
Arteta is expected to make a host of changes for the second game on March 12 – including a possible rest for Rice – with Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid on the horizon in the quarterfinals, in a match up that will decide Arsenal’s season in April.
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