SUMMARY
- Arsenal who held the pole position at the Premier League table dropped to second after losing to Aston Villa.
- Manchester City leads with 73 points while Arsenal sits with 71 points.
Arsenal were in the pole position to win the Premier League title before their 32nd game of the 23/24 PL season against Aston Villa. The team had been in incredible form in 2024, going unbeaten in the English top-flight since the start of 2024.
However, a depressing loss to Aston Villa spoilt every Arsenal fan’s mood. Some of them might have even given up on their club’s Premier League chances.
💬 “It’s time to pull our socks up and show everyone why we’re in this position.”
Attention turns to the Champions League 👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 14, 2024
In times of such distress, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has presented some words of encouragement for his teammates and the club’s fanbase. The former West Ham midfielder still believes that the Premier League title is achievable and that the team should look ahead to FC Bayern Munich in the Champions League Quarter Finals.
He said after the game against Aston Villa, “Yeah definitely, I think it’s a great chance for us to get into a Champions League semi-final. Going into the Allianz Arena, it’s going to be a special night but it’s time for a reaction like you said. It’s time to pull our socks up and show everyone why we’re in this position.”
The North London team takes on FC Bayern Munich in the second leg of the UCL 23/24 QFs on April 17, 2024. The two teams played out a 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium.
🔴⚪️ Declan Rice: “It’s not over yet. We’re in an unbelievable position. We’re still ready, we’re still fully focused on what we want to do and what we can achieve”.
“There’s going to be many more twists and turns in the Premier League. Anything can happen”. pic.twitter.com/umyICtimIn
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 15, 2024
Also, Declan Rice refuses to believe that the Premier League title race is over after Arsenal’s loss to Aston Villa. He said, “It’s not over yet. We’re in an unbelievable position. We’re still ready, we’re still fully focused on what we want to do and what we can achieve”. The English midfielder believes that there are lots of twists and turns to come and doesn’t wanna discount his team’s title hopes.
Arsenal lost a crucial PL match to Aston Villa risking their league title
A late flurry of goals from Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins sealed Arsenal’s fate on the day. The Aston Villa duo scored the only two goals of the match in the last 6 minutes of regular time. The loss to Aston Villa ended the North London club’s 11-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League in 2024.
‘The Gunners’ were pretty wasteful with their chances as their players missed out on giving their team the lead. The game went on to show that a team will definitely be punished if it isn’t able to convert its chances. Soccer is a game of fine margins and despite Arsenal having more possession (52%) and a better xG (1.62), lost the game 2-0.
Arsenal was shockingly poor in protecting their goalpost as the Aston Villa strikers constantly breached their defense. ‘The Gunners’ have been pretty solid in defending in 2024, conceding just 3 goals in 11 games in the year. However, the North London club would consider them lucky as it conceded just two goals while 2 other strikes from Aston Villa hit the woodwork.
FC Bayern Munich has the upper hand over Arsenal in the UCL QFs
While Arsenal fans are considering the Premier League to be a gone case, their only saving grace for the season remains the UEFA Champions League. ‘The Gunners’ have been terrific in their return to Europe’s most elite club competition for the first time since the 2016/17 season. Arsenal finished top of their group and also won their R16 tie against Porto, via a penalty shootout.
The club drew their home leg of the QF tie against FC Bayern Munich 2-2. The team has thus blown away their home advantage and now will have to face Bayern at home. The club is already incensed after losing the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen, who ended the Bavarian club’s monopoly.
Attention turns to Wednesday. Let’s embrace the moment 👊 pic.twitter.com/mmuuWma9p6
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 15, 2024
Moreover, FC Bayern Munich has been unbeaten in Allianz Arena for almost 2.5 years, their last loss coming against Paris Saint Germain with the scoreline being 3-2 in the favor of the French club. Arsenal therefore surely have a mammoth task in front of them to defeat Bayern at home. However, the confidence exuberated by Declan Rice might provide some optimism to the Arsenal fans.
