“Bottled it.”

Don't agree Arsenal have bottled it.

They were in a good position in the table, but they still had very difficult fixtures to play.

They aren't the best team in the league, and no one genuinely thought they were.

They finished outside the top 4 last season and many predicted they wouldn't make top 4 this year.

If City had a 7/9 point cushion and didn't win the league, then that would be 'bottling' it IMO as they're head and shoulders above everyone else in the league.

But Arsenal aren't as good as city.
 
coluka said:
We did, but we were second not champions too. Additionally in the PL, when he lost it after the WHU and after the WBA game as the January window ‘slammed shut’ (sorry), some of that will have sent a worried message to a then fragile squad, and I say that as an AK fan.
Click to expand...
Finishing second was what we had to do, we were chasing one of the two positions. There's only one to chase in the top flight.
 
Corcaigh_the_Cat said:
Finishing second was what we had to do, we were chasing one of the two positions. There's only one to chase in the top flight.
Click to expand...
Well thats not totally true, there are other chases. Winning the title is always preferable to finishing second, in the top flight there are chases for the varying European competitions and where you finish is important, so there are several chases, kudos, prize-money etc as well. To be fair in the Championship you have the race between second and third etc then the various play off scrambles. There are lots of chases in both leagues that can impact.
 
It's a perfectly fine phrase when used in the right context, which is to convey the loss of a dominant position and seemingly otherwise unexplainable drop off in form due to the mental pressure of the situation.

Kevin Keegans rant is the extreme embodiment of it, but it happens in sport often.
 
Arsenal absolutely bottled it.

2-0 up against Liverpool and threw it away.
2-0 up against West Ham and threw it away.
3-1 down to the worst team in the league at home and just managed to scrape a draw.

It's not the defeat to Man City that has thrown away their position, it's those three draws in a row.
The first two they were comfortably the better team and then just imploded the second they conceded. They were lucky to draw against West Ham in the end.
 
The defining moment in Arsenal's season was when Xhaka squared up to Alexander-Arnold for no reason and turned an awful Liverpool into the Liverpool of last season.
 
I'm sure it's already been mentioned but Arsenal didn't bottle it against City, they bottled it weeks ago. 3 points from 4 games including 2 games they were leading by 2 goals and then home to the bottom team in the league. They should have been out of sight by the time they faced City. They didn't fail to win those games because they were a worse team than Liverpool, West Ham or Southampton. They lost because of their mindset.

We've all been there in pressure situations where you don't hold your nerve. That's what has happened to Arsenal. They have let a massive lead slip. All they needed was to get to the City game in a position where even a defeat would have left the title in their hands but they got there and needed a win which they knew they were never going to get. They beat themselves. That's bottling.

Kane did bottle it against France. Again, he missed the target comfortably because he was thinking too much. There was no great save or anything. He missed the target.

People make mistakes in high pressure situations. Kane missing only needs a single player to make a mistake so it's more forgivable. It's a tough situation. Arsenal to throw away 2 leads, not beat the worst team in the league and then not turn up at City needs a whole team to bottle it all at once, multiple times, which is a collective mindset they have because they are inexperienced at winning.
 
coluka said:
Well thats not totally true, there are other chases. Winning the title is always preferable to finishing second, in the top flight there are chases for the varying European competitions and where you finish is important, so there are several chases, kudos, prize-money etc as well. To be fair in the Championship you have the race between second and third etc then the various play off scrambles. There are lots of chases in both leagues that can impact.
Click to expand...
I do think that the aim for any club in the Championship is promotion, and most are as happy finishing in a promotion spot as being top of the table. We had as much pleasure at the end of the season under Karanka as we did under Robson.

I get your point about the top flight but it's the League winners and Cup winners we most think about. It's why 2004 will always be a top year for the Boro, more so than the year after when we qualified for Europe based on our league position.
 
Cardiffdaffs said:
I think Arteta showed a weakness when he was seen running up and down the touchline like an angry baboon after a decision went against them in a league game at The Emirates. He started to unravel slightly I thought. That lack of discipline and control translates to the players from the top. Compare that with Kompany and Carrick who look far more composed and the team feed on that.
Click to expand...
To be fair Pep does that all the time. He's just copying his master.

They act like a couple of 3 year olds having a tantrum and it's embarrassing. But, I guess they feel it works.
 
Cardiffdaffs said:
I think Arteta showed a weakness when he was seen running up and down the touchline like an angry baboon after a decision went against them in a league game at The Emirates. He started to unravel slightly I thought. That lack of discipline and control translates to the players from the top. Compare that with Kompany and Carrick who look far more composed and the team feed on that.
Click to expand...
Hes been doing that all season even when they are winning, most other managers would of been getting at least yellow if not sent off every game but hes been getting away with it.
 
Arsenal have lost William Saliba and had to use Rob Holding. If Manchester City lose Dias, they play Ake or Akanji or Stones. That’s the biggest difference IMO. That depth of quality isn’t there for anyone else.

Arsenal had been hugely over-performing up until about two weeks ago. They were hoping to make the top four this season, not challenge for the title. I personally don’t feel like they’ve bottled anything.
 
Arsenal have had an exceptional season, finishing second to City is not bottling it. A couple of poor performances were always likely they don't have squad depth of city. City to take the League, CL and FA Cup treble I fancy.

I rather hope they demolish Real after what happened last time
 
Muttley said:
Arsenal have had an exceptional season, finishing second to City is not bottling it. A couple of poor performances were always likely they don't have squad depth of city. City to take the League, CL and FA Cup treble I fancy.

I rather hope they demolish Real after what happened last time
Click to expand...
They don't need the squad depth to hold on to 2 goal leads against poor teams and beat Southampton. They have panicked and have been mentally weak. If those results had been spread out across a couple of moths then you could say that but to happen back to back is a mindset issue. They have bottled it, 100%.

The City result is irrelevant. That should have been a free hit for them. They should have been able to win the title even after losing to City. Now they need City to not win 2 matches and Arsenal to win all remaining. You shouldn't be throwing 2 goal leads never mind 2 weeks running and you shouldn't be scoring 3 goals at home against the worst team in the league and still not winning.

They are a young inexperienced side and they haven't been able to deal with the pressure. Arteta is partly to blame. He's very hot-headed and quick to blame others (referees especially) when things aren't going right. He's very inexperienced as well. He never won a league as a player (SPL aside but that's not a real league).
 
Feels more like regression to the mean rather than bottling it for Arsenal. They aren't as good as City, they'd done incredibly well and performed well above expectations for most of the season, but it's a long season.
 
Nano said:
They should have been able to win the title even after losing to City. Now they need City to not win 2 matches and Arsenal to win all remaining. You shouldn't be throwing 2 goal leads never mind 2 weeks running and you shouldn't be scoring 3 goals at home against the worst team in the league and still not winning.

They are a young inexperienced side and they haven't been able to deal with the pressure. Arteta is partly to blame. He's very hot-headed and quick to blame others (referees especially) when things aren't going right. He's very inexperienced as well. He never won a league as a player (SPL aside but that's not a real league).
Click to expand...
This is crazy talk.

Even if they beat Liverpool, West Ham & Saints, they weren't guaranteed of the title.

This is a side that finished 5th last season and who Arteta has punching well above their weight (both based on last season, and based on financial side of things - wages spent etc).

And then you're blaming Arteta for this?

Arteta is in the running for Manager of the Season - and rightly so. This Arsenal team - based on their experience and age - shouldn't really have been in the position they were. No one would've predicted them to be top in April.

They've over achieved in the league enormously and a lot of credit has to go to Arteta for that. Especially with the injuries to big keys players this season - none more so than Jesus.

They're up against a winning machine, and arguably the greatest manager of all time - and if City win the treble, they could even be beaten by arguably the greatest English side team ever.

To suggest Arsenal have 100% bottled it is completely wrong.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top