5/10 Arsenal star let Arteta down on their huge day

With nice sincerity thanks, Mikel, deeply, really, this has been one hell of a journey. It could not have ended with Premier League title quantity 4 for Arsenal however this has been a marketing campaign to be pleased with.

The Gunners fought valiantly, aggressively proper to the ultimate whistle in a bid to safe the crown however Manchester Metropolis had been too good for the north Londoners because the season reached its climax.

Reality be advised, there may be little extra that Arsenal may have executed to safe the title. Sure, they may have crushed Aston Villa a matter of weeks in the past however then you would argue that, having misplaced the title by two factors, drawing 0-0 on the Etihad additionally wasn’t an ideal outcome.

However allow us to not nitpick, allow us to not take a look at the damaging moments from a season which was so near euphoric.

Arteta’s males completed with 28 wins, their most in a single Premier League marketing campaign and ended up with 89 factors. That is a mammoth haul of factors and provides them an immense platform to construct upon heading into subsequent season.

Barring some kind of collapse, the Gunners can be up there once more, prepared and ready to check Metropolis’s resolve. Will they prevail? Solely time will inform. Both method, you possibly can guess your backside greenback that the membership’s head coach can be working his socks off to topple Metropolis.

So, on a day of unhappiness for the membership, who did themselves justice and who did not?

Arsenal’s greatest participant vs Everton

Arsenal simply wanted to win at present and so they duly did that, though it wasn’t with out some exhausting graft.

There’s a cause Everton had one of many sternest defences within the league and so they confirmed that on the Emirates on Sunday. Initially taking the lead by way of a deflected objective from Idrissa Gueye, it took till the stroke of half-time for Arsenal to equalise, firing residence because of Takehiro Tomiyasu.

The hosts did not rating once more till the dying embers, Kai Havertz tapping residence from shut vary with minutes on the clock to seal a 2-1 victory.

The celebrations had been muted, understandably so for a group that regardless of profitable had misplaced out on the title.

Havertz was once more proper within the thick of issues however it was captain unbelievable, Martin Odegaard, who deserved all the plaudits. Just lately named in FFC’s Workforce of the Season, the Norwegian was chic in opposition to the Toffees and ended the marketing campaign with two assists, taking his tally as much as 9 in all competitions this time period.

He pulled the ball again delightfully for Tomiyasu’s equaliser after which it was the midfield maestro who inadvertently rolled the ball into Havertz for his late winner.

Supplying seven key passes on Sunday, it was a classic efficiency from the skipper, though not everybody in pink and white was on the races.

Arsenal’s largest underperformer vs Everton

This wasn’t a traditional Arsenal efficiency, removed from it the truth is, however it did inform the story of the season in components.

The Gunners carved out common alternatives however struggled to seek out the again of the online, Odegaard at one level notably firing straight at Jordan Pickford from shut vary. Declan Rice had a wonderful first-half alternative too however it was their clutch man, the participant for the large event who was relatively nameless; Leandro Trossard.

With Bukayo Saka lacking out via harm, this was an opportunity for the Belgian to indicate why he could possibly be the principle man. Scorer of 17 objectives in 2023/24, the second-best report on the membership, means he actually is aware of the place the again of the online is. Sadly, his radar was off in opposition to Everton.

The 29-year-old was withdrawn on 78 minutes having executed little or no to hassle Sean Dyche’s defence, awarded with a 5/10 match score courtesy of GOAL’s Matt O’Connor Simpson who wrote: ‘Not his greatest afternoon. Barely concerned early on and couldn’t get the higher of Coleman.’

That was mirrored within the numbers. Trossard amassed simply 45 touches, the second-fewest of any Arsenal starter and had just one shot, which was blocked.

Additional registering one key move, however no dribbles or correct crosses, it compounded a poor day on the workplace for a participant who all through the run-in has been so constant.

There’s nothing to fret about long-term with the previous Brighton man, Arsenal did nonetheless win in any case, however he’ll little doubt be disillusioned he could not do extra to roar his aspect onto a title win.

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