Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has identified two crucial moments that hindered Arsenal’s quest for the 2023-24 Premier League title, which they narrowly lost to Manchester City.

The Gunners were aiming to secure their first league title in two decades, with the race extending to the final round of games on Sunday. However, their hopes were dashed as City clinched the title with a victory over West Ham United.

Arsenal forward Kai Havertz expressed his frustration, calling City’s win “not fair,” while Arteta reflected on where things went wrong for his team.

In his post-match press conference, Arteta highlighted the 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa in April as a pivotal turning point, alongside Manchester City’s win over Tottenham.

“For sure, [the 2-0 defeat to] Aston Villa at home [in April],” Arteta said. “In the first half, it should have been 4-0. Maybe the story would have been different. What happened last Tuesday [Man City’s 2-0 win over Tottenham], maybe we could have been champions.”

“These are the margins that are so, so, so small,” Arteta added.