Arsenal‘s quest for their first Premier League title since the Invincibles’ famous triumph in 2003-04 took a major dent on Sunday when they fell to a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City — leaving their rivals just three points behind them with a game in hand.
After the game, boss Mikel Arteta insisted “everything is still to play for” — but he will be fully aware that even from here, Arsenal could win every single remaining game and still potentially fall short.
Amid accusations of their team being serial “bottlers”, the result has deepened Arsenal fans’ fears of seeing yet another Premier League title slip through their fingers.
– Man City’s win over Arsenal gives them control of the title race
– VAR review: Should Arsenal’s Gabriel have been sent off for headbutt?
– Arsenal and Man City’s remaining Premier League fixtures compared
2002-03: Arsenal let eight-point lead slip
Under the stewardship of Arsène Wenger, Arsenal came into this season as reigning champions after securing a domestic double in 2001-02, and things looked set for the trophy to remain at Highbury.
It was a squad whose spine would go on to win unbeaten next term — including Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires and Ashley Cole.
By March, they had pulled some eight points clear of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United after a 2-0 victory over Charlton.
But nine matches later, they had to settle for runners-up, ending five shy of United. This came after a run which saw them drop points against Leeds, Aston Villa and Bolton in March and April — sides that ultimately finished 15th, 16th and 17th, respectively.
Naturally, fans could move on the following season as the Gunners came back to win the Premier League undefeated.
2007-08: Gunners season collapses amid cup commitments
By February of 2008, things were looking good for Arsenal in what was now their second season at their new home, the Emirates Stadium.
On Feb. 11, a 60,000 strong crowd saw their side see off Blackburn 2-0, with Emmanuel Adebayor wrapping things up in stoppage time as he got another of what was ultimately 24 goals that league term, as United and Chelsea both dropped points, leaving Arsenal eight clear.
But just five days later, they were put to the sword by Wayne Rooney and United away in the FA Cup as they fell to a 4-0 defeat — things never looked the same inside the Gunners’ camp.
They would go on to win just one of their remaining league fixtures, which included 2-1 defeats at both Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, but once again, a run of draws with the likes of Birmingham, Aston Villa, Wigan and Middlesbrough cost them their cushion at the top as the season culminated in a third-place finish.
Arsenal would play Liverpool three times in six days during that spell, with a 1-1 draw on April 5 in the league sandwiched between both legs of their Champions League quarterfinal, which Liverpool took 5-3 on aggregate.
2013-14: Title dreams begin to derail after Christmas
Between Sep. 22 and Feb. 7 in 2013-14, Arsenal spent just five days off the summit of the Premier League, having dropped to second on Dec. 21 and heading back top on Boxing Day.
But an injury to Aaron Ramsey at Upton Park was where the creaks began to show for Wenger’s men. They were left reeling at Anfield in early February when Liverpool put four past them in the opening 19 minutes, with Raheem Sterling adding a fifth after the break. A then-31-year-old Arteta got Arsenal’s only consolation.
Another desperate March run would follow, which included a 6-0 thrashing at Chelsea — with Mohamed Salah getting on the scoresheet — and just one league win in the month. Mesut Özil missed out most of March after suffering a hamstring strain against Bayern Munich in the Champions League round of 16.
Arsenal would go on to limp to fourth place, and while by no means lacking “bottle” in the typical sense, it was a season which saw them hold top spot for longer than any other side before an injury-driven unravelling after the New Year.
2022-23: Nearly 250 days in first place — but not any in May
Firmly in the Mikel Arteta era now, this is a time of difficult, and still recent, memory for the Arsenal faithful.
Having moved top at the end of August, a new-look Gunners side cruised through the break for the World Cup and by the time a three-game run without a win came in February, they had already built enough of a gap to survive it.
March passed without a blip as Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli showed impressive form to complement the team’s growing defensive solidity. But the first unfathomable blip followed in April for Arteta’s team.
Three consecutive draws with Liverpool, West Ham, and most memorably bottom-placed Southampton, ate away their lead. They then visited the Etihad, where Kevin De Bruyne was the standout as City laid down a 4-1 marker — leaving them two points behind the Gunners, with as many games in hand.
That was part of a spell where City won 14 out of 15 league matches, as their deadly end-of-season reputation grew further and Arsenal finished five points off the pace — but returned to the Champions League for the first time since 2016.
2023-24: Gunners outmuscled in three-way title push
Having been the Premier League’s surprise package the season prior, the Gunners were touted as title contenders from the off in 2023-24, having made the transfer moves to match — bringing in Declan Rice for a club record £100 million, as well as Kai Havertz (£62m) and Jurriën Timber (£38m).
Arsenal finished on 89 points, with the fewest goals shipped in the league (29), and 91 scored.
Still, they finished two shy of City. A festive period blip saw them lose at home to West Ham and then draw away at Fulham — but they turned over a new leaf with the New Year.
They lost just once in 17 matchdays from January to the season’s end — a run that included a cagey goalless stalemate at the Etihad on March 31, which then allowed Liverpool to move top.
But it was a a 2-0 sucker-punch loss at home to fourth-placed Aston Villa on April 14 that pushed them second as Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins scored late on. Seven flawless games afterwards went in vain — Liverpool’s challenge did slip away, but Arsenal fans were left waiting for a City slip-up that would never come.
Sound familiar?
