Arteta Resolutely Defends Title Ambition: Over My Dead Body!

Nikii Author March 1, 2025 1:05 pm

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Media caption: Over my dead body – Arteta says Arsenal won’t give up on title

Arsenal will continue their fight for the Premier League title despite falling 11 points behind Liverpool, according to manager Mikel Arteta. The team suffered another setback last weekend with a 1-0 loss to West Ham at Emirates Stadium.

Historically, only three teams have managed to close such a large gap (11 or more points) and go on to win the Premier League title by the end of the season. However, Arsenal still holds an extra game in their schedule compared to Liverpool’s Arne Slot’s side, with their next match against Anfield scheduled for May 10th. Arteta remains optimistic about his team’s chances.

When asked if he would concede the title, Arteta emphatically stated: “Over my dead body. If not I will go home.” He acknowledged that while it is mathematically possible to close this gap, the difficulty has increased since three days ago when they were perceived as being just one and a half games away from catching up.

Arteta emphasized that winning the Premier League under these circumstances would require doing something extraordinary. “If you are going to win with such conditions, it will probably involve something unique in Premier League history,” he said.

Arsenal has been affected by injuries this season, notably losing key attacking players like Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Martinelli. Arteta believes these setbacks contributed to their defeat against West Ham but highlighted that the team’s performance over the past three months was exceptionally consistent. They had won 10 of their previous 15 games with five draws, mirroring Liverpool’s record in both wins and goal difference.

However, he also acknowledged how difficult it was for his side to lose ground while trying to build momentum under challenging circumstances: “When you are building that momentum and put so much into it, especially with all the issues we’ve had, it’s a really hard one to take,” Arteta said. On top of this setback, Liverpool secured their win as well.

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