Mikel Arteta may never recover if Arsenal complete Premier League's biggest choke ever

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If Arsenal blow the title, it will be the biggest choke in Premier League history.

Arsenal were nine points clear of Manchester City in April (albeit having played a game more) and that is an unforgivable slip.

And the reason it goes above the three classics - Newcastle in 1996, Manchester United in 2012 and Liverpool in 2014 - is because Arsenal’s season is in meltdown.

On the morning of March 22, Arsenal were still in the hunt for a highly improbable quadruple. Then they lost the Carabao Cup final, they crashed out of the FA Cup at Southampton and have now surrendered their lead at the top.

Yes, they are still in the title chase but City could knock them off the top if they win - which seems a formality - at Burnley on Wednesday night.

Arsenal would have spent the past 200 days at the top of the Premier League - and then blown it again. No matter how well they played at City on Sunday, they would have bottled the title race.

In 2022/23, they allowed City to overtake them. They did not bottle it then because no-one expected Arsenal to be top. In 2023/24, Arsenal lost the lead again but winning eight of their last nine games is hardly bottling it.

Last season, Arsenal did not really compete. They never really pushed Liverpool.

But this time, there is no other way to look at it. It’s painful but the harsh reality is that if they do not win it then there is no escaping they bottled it - and Mikel Arteta may never be able to get the team over the line.

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Arsenal clearly trust Arteta, they would happily give him a new contract but whether that is the right decision if you are signing up again to a manager who cannot deliver big trophies is the bigger issue.

The recruitment certainly did not help Arteta. A better striker than Viktor Gyokeres would surely have seen them at least ten points clear or more.

Instead, the games where they threw away points - like at Sunderland or Wolves or even at home to Liverpool when they never looked like scoring - are the days they should regret.

It would beg the question about whether Arteta could come back. Could he lift the players after finishing second four times in a row? That’s the issue.

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Newcastle were 12 points clear in January 1996 but lost the title to Manchester United. That is seen as the biggest collapse.

In 2012, City lost at Arsenal and United were eight ahead with six to play. But City came back and United lost it with the Agueroooo moment.

In 2014, Liverpool were on the brink - until Steven Gerrard ’s slip. That let City back in and Brendan Rodgers never recovered. Sadly if Arsenal fail to win then the title will collapse will haunt Arteta forever.

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