When Arsenal took the field to play Aston Villa, the Premier League title race took a potentially decisive turn, and they were met, ninety minutes later, with a sea of red seats vacant. Arsenal had reveled in an atmosphere of great expectation.
Arsenal’s fans, or the ones that remained, exited Emirates Stadium just as shocked as their Anfield counterparts when Mikel Arteta’s team lost 2-0. Liverpool faltered first in a shocking home loss to Crystal Palace.
With just two points separating the top three, the race for the title is far from over, but Manchester City’s position at the top of the table feels uncannily familiar when the pressure is applied.
Arsenal and Liverpool will be extremely frustrated since they both engineered their own demise by putting on abhorrent performances right when they needed to win.
Shearer: “You can hear panic set in” regarding the impact of pressure on the title chase
Which team will win the Premier League—Arsenal, Liverpool, or Manchester City?
Can Arsenal and Liverpool recover from such severe losses, or has Manchester City gained a decisive advantage in the title race? That is the key issue at this point.
Before Sunday’s late kickoff, everything was very different, and the Gunners had been given a fantastic chance to reassert their dominance at the top.
Arsenal’s supporters descended on the Emirates in droves to put an end to a miserable week for Liverpool that had included the draw at Manchester United and the humiliating loss to Atalanta in the Europa League quarterfinal at Anfield.
Liverpool appeared lethargic and devoid of their customary fervor in their 1-0 loss to Palace, exhibiting every indication of exhaustion following the exertion of energy in an attempt to win four trophies, if only temporarily.
However, it seemed as though Liverpool’s defeat worked against Arsenal because when an early lead did not materialize, anxiety quickly spread throughout the Emirates.
The sound occasionally seemed desperate, like they were afraid their past transgressions might resurface for a team that City had so mercilessly destroyed the previous season.
As we have seen in past campaigns, City is a specialist at exerting pressure, but they were not prepared for their opponents to struggle in home games on the same day.
After defeating Luton 5-1 the day before, Pep Guardiola and his City team would have had the perfect Sunday by relaxing with their feet up and watching Arsenal and Liverpool collapse on their home field.
This season, Liverpool finally paid a price for frequently stepping too close to the edge.
Late goals from Villa undermine Arsenal’s title hopes.
Palace’s defeat dampens Liverpool’s title ambitions.
Guardiola: “My players enjoy pressure” in the title match
With Eberechi Eze’s goal, they had now conceded first four times in their last five league home games, making it their 14th consecutive Premier League goal of the season.
They were taking a risk by believing they could return each time. They would eventually be caught, and today turned out to be that day.
It means that, despite the possibility of one more dramatic turn of events, the Kop’s hope of bidding Jurgen Klopp farewell with a championship has dimmed during this terrible week for Liverpool.
With just two goals in their last three games, a squad that views potency as one of its biggest threats has suddenly appeared blunt at the worst possible time, which worries Klopp even more.
Can Klopp inspire and motivate for a final, magnificent flourish? In his last days at Anfield, it will be a formidable challenge.
Arsenal suffered their first league defeat since losing 2-1 to Fulham on New Year’s Eve, and their performance was replete with indications of a team under pressure to perform well.
The defense’s fragility, which was evident in the Champions League quarterfinal matchup against Bayern Munich, was evident once more, with Gabriel in particular showing a lack of his customary sharpness.
The Gunners haven’t displayed such anxiety or appeared so uneasy for such a long time. The only thing that surprised me was that Villa didn’t get the goals their play deserved until the final ten minutes of regular time.
Was it anxiety? Was pressure involved? It appeared to be, at least.
After just 18 months in charge, Villa manager Unai Emery produced a triumph that will be especially memorable following his dismissal from Arsenal in November 2019.
The fact that this outcome improves Villa’s chances of placing in the top four and earning a spot in the Champions League the following season has greater significance for him. Emery performed a fantastic job.
After Ollie Watkins scored a second goal to Leon Bailey’s opening goal, many of Arsenal fans left the stadium, perhaps losing all faith in a comeback.
For the most part of the second half, Arsenal’s players were gaunt and jaded, and by the conclusion, they were worn out.
There’s no arguing about the second half, but Arteta exaggerated a mediocre first-half performance that was nowhere near as good as he claimed.
The Gunners appeared tight and nervous as they watched their chances of winning slip away. They were also unable to even earn a point as Villa, led admirably by Diego Carlos and John McGinn, rightfully won all three.
Will this be remembered as the turning point in the Premier League title race? The point at which Arsenal and Liverpool finally felt the effects of City’s relentlessness?
Time will tell, but if the Premier League season—which has been so close for so long—is not to end in a familiar fashion, Arsenal and Liverpool will need to find newfound vigor and perform on a level several notches above this.
