People asking were Arsenal just not good enough, or did they bottle it...
Well, why can't it be both?
They've got some very good players (Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, Ramsdale at times), but a load of mid-table dross also. They shouldn't have been up there challenging and they were massively overachieving, but the results of late and the dropoff in performance have suggested bottling it a bit tbh.
A bit like people suggesting Newcastle bottled the league under Keegan - they had a defence with Darren Peacock, John Beresford and Warren Barton in it. They should never have been up there in the first place.
I agree. People talk about us as if we've got incredible depth, but in reality, we just have better players on average, and our players are versatile enough to cover a lot of positions, often in the same match.
Look at the options in defence.
Arsenal: Tierney, Zinchenko, Gabriel, Saliba, White, Tomiyasu, Holding, Kiwior
City: Dias, Stones, Laporte, Ake, Akanji, Walker, Lewis, Gomez
We've got insane cover at CB, but we don't actually have two top class full backs, so we''ve been relying on CBs playing out of position all season. They've got much better cover than us at full back. Zinchenko is injured and they play Tierney. Tomiyasu is injured and they play White. It's been like-for-like all season. They've not been playing a right-footed CB at left back like we've had to at times.
Then in midfield.
Arsenal: Partey, Xhaka, Odergaard, Jorginho, Smith-Rowe, Vieira, Elneny
City: Rodri, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Phillips
We don't have more players, it's just that every player they have, we have a slightly better version.
On the wing.
Arsenal: Saka, Martinelli, Trossard, Nelson
City: Grealish, Foden, Mahrez, Palmer
Both teams have three senior wingers and a kid. And in terms of goals scored, their wingers have been miles ahead of ours this season.
Up Front.
Arsenal: Jesus, Nketiah
City: Haaland, Alvarez
Both players have their main striker and a backup, it's just that ours are world class and good, and theirs are good and average.