Arsenal were not expected to come anywhere close to challenging for the Premier League this season, with a top-four finish very much the aim after missing out on Champions League football on the final day of last season.
However, their overachievement throughout the campaign has led many to label the Gunners as bottlers.
Arsenal spent the majority of the 2022/23 campaign sat top of the Premier League table.
At one point, the Gunners had an 11-point lead over Manchester City and even racked up 50 points in the first half of the season, putting them on course to match City’s 100-point tally from 2017/18.
But Arsenal drew three games on the bounce before losing to Manchester City in April. This was followed shortly after by defeats at the hands of Brighton and Nottingham Forest.
In turn, Manchester City were crowned champions for a 5th time in 6 seasons last weekend.
The former Gunners midfielder told ESPN Brasil: “Saying Arsenal ‘bottled’ [it] is a word I wouldn’t use, we created our own frustration. Nobody expected us to fight for the title. You being frustrated about not winning the title is a change of mind. It could even be considered, let’s say, positive, considering times ago. In the past, we celebrated the fourth place, the third. Today, we are frustrated with the second.”
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