Manager Mikel Arteta has explained that the Gunners’ failure against Liverpool and West Ham was what caused Arsenal to lose the English Premier League title this season.
He added that the failure to win those games was one of the reasons they eventually lost the title.
Arteta spoke after Arsenal’s Premier League away 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The outcome of the match against Forest means Manchester City are now champions of England with three games left for them to play.
Speaking on the teams that may have cost Arsenal the league title this season, Arteta said at his post-match press conference after the game against Forest, “It started with what happened at Anfield [against Liverpool] in the 90th minute. Then at West Ham, if you put it away to make 3-1 everything changes.”
He added, “We have conceded a lot of goals. We have given 16 goals away in those matches. It is a lot. You cannot sustain that. In this league, you have to be exceptional with everything because there are no margins.
“That team doesn’t give you any margins. We have extended those margins too much, and that is why we lost the league.”
Recall that Arsenal threw away a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 against Liverpool and West Ham United, respectively, in April.
