February 23rd 2025.
Arsenal suffered another defeat in the Premier League title race as they lost 1-0 to West Ham. After Liverpool beat Manchester City, the Gunners fell 11 points behind in the table. Gary Neville, a former player for Manchester United and England, expressed his thoughts on Arsenal's recent performances and their focus on set-pieces. He praised Liverpool's manager Arne Slot and suggested that questions will be asked about Mikel Arteta's injury-hit team.
The Emirates stadium was filled with disappointment as West Ham's Jarrod Bowen scored the only goal of the game, leaving Arsenal's fans shellshocked. The next day, Liverpool extended their lead at the top with a convincing 2-0 win over defending champions City. Mohamed Salah, who has been in top form, scored and assisted another goal for the visitors. Curtis Jones thought he had added a third, but it was disallowed by the video assistant referee.
In an interview with Sky Sports after the match, Neville commended Slot for his calm leadership and the way he has adapted the team's playing style. He noted that it is very different from Jurgen Klopp's style and that he likes how they can switch their style within a game. On the other hand, he criticized Arsenal for becoming too rigid and overly dependent on set-pieces, with a set-piece coach even present on the touchline. He felt that this has affected their overall game and taken away their freedom.
Neville also mentioned the absence of key players like Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, and Kai Havertz, but still felt that Arsenal should have done better against West Ham. He agreed with Micah Richards' statement that Arsenal will regret not signing a top striker in the January transfer window. He believes that the team has left themselves short and that it will be a big blow for them, especially since they were inching closer to the title in the past two seasons.
The former defender also noted that this season is a bigger problem for Arsenal compared to the previous two, as they were expected to step up in the absence of a strong Manchester City team. Their failure to do so will hit hard in the boardroom, among the players, and for Arteta, who is eager to win a title. Neville pointed out that Arsenal had a chance to close the gap to five points with a win over West Ham, but were unable to do so, making it a big blow for them.
However, he also acknowledged that Liverpool has dropped points in their last eight matches, drawing two and losing four. This could have been an opportunity for Arsenal to catch up, but they have not been able to capitalize on it. The Gunners will now face third-placed Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, while Liverpool will host Newcastle in what is expected to be an exciting match. It remains to be seen if Arsenal can bounce back and close the gap on the league leaders.
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