Ian Wright highlights key reason behind Arsenal ‘bottling’ Premier League title race

Ian Wright has detailed the main reason Arsenal missed out on the Premier League title this season.

Mikel Arteta’s men put together a strong title charge this term only to fall short to serial winners Manchester City. Few expected Arsenal to be involved in the title race, but they led the way for most of the season before enduring a wobble within their last 10 games. With City almost faultless down the stretch, Pep Guardiola’s men wound up winning the title with games to spare, and it felt like an opportunity missed for the Gunners.

But now that the season is over, there is a feeling of pride in the effort, and that’s something Gunners legend Wright pointed out when he highlighted where it went wrong for Arteta’s men on this season’s final episode of Match of the Day.

“(They have) exceeded a lot of expectations this season because obviously fourth was the target and in the end the squad wasn’t deep enough,” said Wright. “They couldn’t do it and I think the fact we used the same eleven for the majority of the season took it’s toll on us.

“I think getting the Champions League, leading as long as we did with people saying about us bottling it, but not knowing deep down. What we have learnt from that, what the players have learnt from that and what Mikel has learnt from that, is that we need to strengthen a little bit more because we are close, we are very close to doing it.

“We are linked with players and if we can get those player we will do that and challenge Manchester City or try and get as close as you can. We have proved this season we are capable of staying there, we just needed a little bit more to finish it off.”