Only 3 points away! The Gunners were reversed and Manchester City was looking for two. Can they still get the runner-up after wasted most of the season?

In the early morning of May 4, a focus battle was staged in the 35th round of the 2024/25 Premier League. The Gunners Arsenal lost 1-2 to Bournemouth at home and were beaten to a double season. After this game, although the Gunners continued to rank second in the Premier League standings, they only had 3 points left to lead Manchester City, which ranked third. This means that after wasting most of the season, Manchester City actually saw hope of winning the Premier League runner-up.

Arsenal has reached the Champions League semi-finals and lost to Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 at home in the first leg. However, they are only one goal behind and still have the hope of completing a counterattack away and entering the finals. However, head coach Arteta made an incredible decision to attack in this round of the Premier League. After the game, Tajima explained that he wanted to create a good atmosphere and use victory to help players build confidence in winning the next mid-week. In addition, Arsenal did not win the runner-up firmly, which is also an important reason.

However, Arteta's wonderful plan eventually turned into a skinny reality. Although Declan Rice's goal in the game gave Arsenal a 1-0 lead to the end of the first half. But Bournemouth, who is determined to qualify for the Champions League next season, did not give up. They won 2 goals in the second half and finally won 2-1, successfully killing the Gunners in two rounds this season. Arteta finished all the machine and finally got exhausted and lost the game.

This defeat also put Arsenal's second position in the Premier League in jeopardy. In this round of the game, Manchester City defeated Wolves 1-0 at home with a single blow from De Bruyne, ending his opponent's six consecutive Premier League wins while also winning five consecutive victories in all competitions. At the most critical moment, Guardiola's team found its best form. Originally, they just wanted to qualify for the Champions League next season. But at present, the goal can be set a little higher.

In the last three rounds of the Premier League, Manchester City's opponents are Southampton, Bournemouth and Fulham. During this period, Manchester City will also rush to Wembley Stadium to compete with Crystal Palace for the FA Cup championship this season. Among the three opponents, Southampton has been relegated and it is difficult to pose a threat to Manchester City in terms of strength. Bournemouth defeated Manchester City in the first leg, but at that time, Manchester City was in the most difficult moment and could not be compared with the present.

It is also worth mentioning that in the FA Cup match in March, Manchester City once again reversed 2-1 to the Vitality Stadium, and Haaland even lost a penalty. In addition, this time it is home game, and Bournemouth wants to get points again, it is probably unlikely. As for Fulham, although there is still hope for European wars, it is unlikely that they will pose a threat to Manchester City.

Let's take a look at the schedule of Arsenal's last three rounds. After playing Paris Saint-Germain away from home, they will go to Anfield to challenge Liverpool, and then return to home to face the Magpie Newcastle. One is the new Premier League champion, and the other is also determined to enter the Champions League next season. Arsenal wants to win the game, but the difficulty is much greater than that of Manchester City.

So, after losing in the Premier League championship for two consecutive seasons, Arsenal may not even be able to win the runner-up this time. Every time they arrive at a critical moment, they will lose their links. At present, coach Arteta is to blame for this. He studied under Moyes in the early stage, received Wenger's teaching in the middle and late stages, and was taught by Guardiola after retiring, but why did he only learn a little clever?