Arsenal's hopes of winning the Premier League title were given a huge blow on Wednesday night as they fell to defeat at the hands of Manchester City. A rampant performance at the Etihad Stadium meant the home side ran out 4-1 winners, putting the title race firmly into their hands.
A Kevin De Bruyne brace was followed by John Stones and Erling Haaland goals, meaning that Rob Holding's late strike was nothing more than a consolation. It means the Gunners hold a two point lead over their rivals at the top, but having played two games more at this stage.
"I think it’s clear the better team won the game," Mikel Arteta said after the clash. "They were probably at their best, especially in the first half and we weren’t at our level. The gap then becomes too big. In the first 30 minutes in terms of the basics you have to do against an exceptional team in terms of competing, in terms of winning duels, in terms of understanding what the game required we didn’t do it. We got punished and we could have been punished even more."
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The defeat comes as a massive blow to the side, who are without a win in their last four games, heading into the final five of the season. It could have been so different though, with former player Ian Wright outlining how Gabriel Jesus could've changed the game early on.
Speaking on the BBC's Match of the Day, he said: "It's the only way you're going to get something off them. Look where Jesus is here [out on the left wing]. This the only way Arsenal are going to get something, any kind of half-chance and they did finally break through at one stage.
"And then you look at that [with Saka cutting the ball back into the area], and then you see that's where you want your striker because you're not going to get too many opportunities where you're going to break into City and do that. And that is why when you get the opportunity - that was five minutes in - you've got to try and do that to get them on the backfoot."
It proved to be a moment that the side would rue, with the game quickly slipping out of their grasps along with their title hopes. They now rely on favours elsewhere as well as a quick upturn in form if they are to lift the title for the first time in almost 20 years by late May.
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