Preceded by Liverpool, Arsenal Specializes in Accompanying Premier League Champions

The results that had been anticipated for several weeks finally occurred. Liverpool won the Premier League, while Arsenal accompanied them in second place. For Liverpool, this achievement is a sweet surprise in the first season under coach Arne Slot. In contrast, Arsenal's internal situation is trapped in a monotonous journey.

For three consecutive times, Arsenal has finished in second place when the title race was confirmed to be over. They "handed over" the championship to Manchester City in the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons, as well as to Liverpool in this season. The league trophy feels close for Arsenal, but in reality, it remains as distant as a mirage.

Without City in the latest title race, Arsenal would on paper be top of the pile. However, they are 15 points behind Liverpool with four games remaining. "Their form in the league is disappointing. Given the progress of the last few seasons, this season's results are a step backwards," former England international Gary Neville told NBC Sports.

If the context is not discussed in depth, such as the issue of injuries, Neville's statement is correct. The decline is evident from Arsenal's potential maximum points at the end of the season, which is only 79 points. This is contingent upon them winning their last four matches. This standard has decreased compared to 2022-2023 (84) and 2023-2024 (89).

The biggest problem for "Si Meriam" is the excessive number of draws, which has occurred 13 times. Sharing points is certainly not as bad as losing. Especially when used in the context of Arsenal's glory in the 2003-2004 season when they won the league with an unbeaten status. They recorded 12 draws during that time.

However, a single point is not enough for a team that is chasing the top of the standings. Moreover, according to Opta, Arsenal were held to nine draws after taking the lead. This means they lost 18 points that were already in their grasp.

The problem was encapsulated in the match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace on Thursday (24/4/2025). They took the lead twice, but the match ended in a 2-2 draw. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta stated that there were too many factors that contributed to this outcome. "The margin of difference in many matches is too small," he said.

"Sometimes we have to give credit to the opposing team, but the fact is that we have played five times with ten players this season (due to red cards). One thing is certain, we could have done better in the past, especially when we were in a leading position," Arteta continued.

When the team is unable to maintain its lead, the spotlight inevitably falls on the defense. Interestingly, Arsenal does not appear to have issues at the back. This can be seen in the standings, where Martin Odegaard and his teammates have conceded the fewest goals, with only 29. It is this defense that has kept them in the top two.

I think we could be much closer to Liverpool if we had a striker who could capitalize on opportunities. Arsenal needs someone like that.

The issue with "Si Meriam" actually lies in their attacks. They often fail to double their advantages and find themselves in tight scorelines. This problem is reflected in their productivity throughout the season, which has only reached 63 goals. This number is just one goal more than that of 16th-ranked Tottenham Hotspur.

Arteta once stated during the early period of his leadership at Arsenal that it takes at least 90-100 goals in a season to win the league. They scored 91 goals last season and 88 goals the season before. This season, based on the average over 34 weeks, they are projected to reach only 70 goals. This decline is very drastic.

That goal is very important as it relates to match management. Arteta always instructs his team to play aggressively after taking the lead. This means that their defense will be more exposed as the opposing team attempts to be more aggressive in search of goals. If they are unable to score additional goals, the chances of conceding automatically increase.

Ian Wright, the legendary Arsenal striker from the 90s, stated that the issue will be resolved with the presence of a striker. "I think we could be much closer to Liverpool if we had a striker who could capitalize on opportunities. Arsenal needs someone like that. We must seek that piece in the summer," he said.

A sharp striker is often referred to as the last missing piece of Arsenal's squad. Just look at the list of top scorers, there is no Arsenal player in the top 15. Even though they are the second-ranked team. The search for a striker, according to The Athletic, is a top priority for new sporting director Andrea Berta.

However, if you look more broadly, strikers are not the only problem for Arteta's team. Their productivity is below standard due to the impact of a decrease in chance creation. Based on FBref data, Arsenal recorded 53 xG (expected goals) or only ranked seventh.

Efficiency is not an issue when comparing the number of goals and xG figures. Arsenal can record a surplus of more than 10 goals compared to the xG figure. This means the team's finishing is quite satisfactory. However, the number of opportunities is indeed very limited, especially when compared to Liverpool (74.4 xG).

Arsenal has always struggled when facing mid-table or lower teams that tend to defend very deeply. They have lost three times this season, each time to Newcastle United, Bournemouth, and West Ham United. None of these teams are classified as "Classic Big Six."

The playing scheme reminiscent of Arteta is based on ball possession. They require players who can create opportunities in tight spaces. The problem is that they are overly reliant on the system on the right side, which is filled by midfielder Martin Odegaard and winger Bukayo Saka. When both of them took turns being injured this season, totaling around six months of absence, "The Gunners" struggled.

Injuries are indeed difficult to avoid and can occur at any time. However, their impact can be mitigated by recruiting better players. Arsenal needs players who can create opportunities from other areas, particularly the left side, as well as find suitable backups for Odegaard and Saka.

The last time Arsenal won the title was 21 years ago. One of the players involved in that glorious moment was legendary defender Martin Keown. According to him, there are positive things that can be taken from this season. Keown and his colleagues also became runners-up in the league three times in 1999-2001, before winning the following season.

"I'm in a similar situation. We finished behind Manchester United for three years in a row. That makes us ask ourselves questions. You have to have a strong team and I think Arsenal have that. The foundations are there," Keown told TalkSport.

At least, for Arsenal fans, the Arteta era is better than Arsene Wenger's leadership in the 2010s. "The Cannon" rose from a specialist team ranked fourth to runner-up. The problem is, the achievement of second place that can be proud of this season can still be lost from grasp. (AP/REUTERS)