One day, maybe not far away, Arsenal will win a title. It could even be a much bigger title than the Carabao Cup. But for now, what remains is anxiety and that feeling is increasing after the 0-2 defeat to Manchester City at Wembley.
Wembley Stadium could have witnessed the beginning of a new era for Arsenal, even the first step towards an unprecedented quadruple. Instead, Man City is the team celebrating, with excitement showing that even a team rich in titles like them never underestimates big moments.
Opinions that this defeat will create a serious psychological blow in the championship race may be a bit exaggerated. One match is still just one match. Professional players are always capable of recovery. However, Arsenal's lackluster performance in the second half is still a worrying sign.
The Gunners were pressured and almost could not deploy attacks. Man City took advantage of Arsenal's familiar pace control to counter-attack. Short passes from the goalkeeper, which were strengths, became weaknesses when City locked down deployment options, forcing Arsenal to pass horizontally in the defense and lose attacking options. Is that Pep Guardiola's tactical victory, or is it a sign of fatigue, or even Arsenal's familiar psychological fragility?
Arsenal has actually not had convincing form recently. They may be unbeaten in 14 matches since the defeat to Manchester United, but not every performance shows they are getting closer to the championship.
The current gap with Man City is 9 points, but Guardiola's team still has one match to play. If City wins that match, and then continues to defeat Arsenal at the Etihad on April 19, the gap may only be 3 points. Then, Arsenal's remaining 6 matches - against Bournemouth, Newcastle, Fulham, West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace - are all potentially risky.
Even Arsenal's recent victories are unconvincing. They defeated Chelsea thanks to a goalkeeper's mistake. The victory over Brighton was tense. The victory over Mansfield was also closer than expected. Arsenal only drew with Bayer Leverkusen away from home, and Everton also made it difficult for them until a late goalkeeper's mistake. Only the second leg at home against Leverkusen was really convincing.
The question is whether the "Gunners" can maintain stability when the race enters a decisive stage. Three consecutive seasons ending in second place have left a psychological mark. Painful memories remain, especially in April 2023 when Arsenal lost the 2-0 lead to Liverpool and West Ham, before being overtaken by Man City and winning the championship.
The following season, Arsenal won 89 points but were still 2 points behind City. The 0-0 draw at Etihad when they had the opportunity to create a safe gap also became a turning point. After that, City won consecutively and once again took the lead.
Those scars are not easy to remove. And they may have affected the second half at Wembley. Arsenal played well before halftime but stagnated afterwards. It may be a consequence of fatigue, psychological pressure or simply the quality of Man City's pressing.
Whatever the reason, Arsenal's biggest concern is still the tension as the finish line is approaching. They have an international break to adjust or to reflect. But time is running out, and the championship race is still opening up with a lot of pressure.
