Arsenal manager suggests luck played role in Liverpool title win

In partnership with

Anfield Index

·7 Mei 2025

Arsenal manager suggests luck played role in Liverpool title win

Arteta’s Title Claim Sparks Debate Ahead of Liverpool Clash

Context Behind Arteta’s Title Frustration

As Arsenal prepare for a defining trip to Paris, Mikel Arteta has once again found himself in the shadow of another club’s domestic success. With Liverpool crowned Premier League champions under Arne Slot, Arteta’s side find themselves trailing by a sizeable 15-point margin, and the Spaniard, so often measured in tone, has offered a curious assessment of the title race.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, Arteta said:

Video OneFootball

“Winning trophies is about being in the right moment and in the right place.” “Liverpool have won the title with less points than we had in the last two seasons. “With the points of the last two seasons, we have two Premier League titles. So you have to be in the right moment and in the right place.”

The comment raised eyebrows. Not because it lacked truth—Arsenal’s 84 and 89-point hauls in recent years might well have secured silverware in other eras—but because it carried a tinge of exasperation. Perhaps even envy.

Timing, Points and Perspective

Arteta’s point about timing is not without merit. His Arsenal team have evolved admirably, challenging Manchester City to the brink twice. And yet, as fate would have it, Liverpool’s resurgence under Slot has coincided with a drop in City’s relentless form, opening a rare window which the Merseysiders seized.

Photo: IMAGO

Still, the implication that Liverpool’s title triumph was rooted in timing rather than performance is one that will irk many. With three games to go, the Reds could finish on 91 points—matching last season’s title-winning total for City and surpassing Arsenal’s tally from 2022/23. That is not fortune. That is form.

Anfield Looms Large Again

Arteta must now refocus. PSG await in Paris and Liverpool loom at Anfield. The former could end Arsenal’s European dream; the latter may deepen the wound domestically.

His words may have been intended to defend his players’ efforts, to contextualise their consistency. But in comparing, however innocently, he has inadvertently cast a shadow over a rival’s success—one earned through clarity, resilience and perhaps the very composure Arsenal now need most.