Gary Neville claims that Arsenal “what they earn” received in the not winning the Premier League this season after two bad transfer pendulas.
After winning the title with only two points last season, many expected the Gunners to take the last steps in the window of the summer transfer of 2024 to hit the indomitable City in Manchester of their perch. One of Arsenal's biggest weaknesses that the season was a lack of quality depth in the forward positions, as well as real goals at No. 9.
Yet the summer ended in enormous disappointment when only promising defender Riccardo Calafiori, Central -Facle Mikel Merino, Keepers Neto and David Raya, and a aging Raheem -Sterling was brought in by sports director Edu Gaspar -who suddenly left the club itself in November.
The shortcomings of Edu and manager Mikel Arteta have only become clearer as the current season 2024/25 has shifted. Liverpool has been steamed ahead in the title race, while the North Londers have become considerably short because of their lack of firepower – worsened by injuries to attackers such as Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli from December.
And after a window in January in which the club did not make any additions, the last nail in the coffin for Arteta's dream came to end the 21-year-old waiting of Arsenal for a title for a title in the 1-0 defeat against West Ham on Saturday. The Gunners shot empty spots with Merino from position as a striker, while Sterling started on the couch.
Now the legend Neville of Manchester United has given his destructive assessment of Edu and Arteta when he was asked by Rebecca Lowe whether the Spaniard should receive some 'warmth' for the transfers from Arsenal – or the lack of it.
The Sky Sports Pundit said: “Yes, I think losing Edu was strange earlier in the season, I don't know if their recruitment drive was hindered or not. But they have left themselves miserably briefly and where I have little sympathy for them, is that they have already had two title races.
“This is a team that is hardened for races to title races. They knew when they lost William Saliba that first season they needed to buy defenders to ensure that they did not leave themselves in that position again – and that did last year.
“What they have done now is briefly left in the central position, so it is almost as if they are always a step behind. My opinion is that they are currently getting what they deserve in time.
“I have a lot of love for this Arsenal team. I think they have grown immeasurably in recent years, but they have become a bit rigid in recent months. “
He added: “In the weekend [against West Ham] Was a must -win game and I always think it is unforgivable in a title race if other teams drop points and you are not on it to put pressure on them. They will be so sorry about this. This is a season in which, if it was not Manchester City, it would be Arsenal. “
Arsenal had closed the gap on Liverpool in one phase to only four points for the disappointment at home against West Ham, although another match had played.
After following the loss of the Hamers with a 0-0 draw in third place Nottingham Forest On Wednesday evening-where they again clearly missed a clinical lead, while Liverpool assured large victories about Manchester City and Newcastle last week, the Gunners left no less than 13 points behind the Arne Slot team.
Arteta itself did not shun out to express his frustration because he did not sign a striker, even to be visibly heated in January when a reporter suggested that buying his own preference was. Edu summarized the travesty last summer when he admitted that the last-minute signing of Sterling on loan had not been their first option in the market.
For now until the end of the season, the Gunners will feel the bitter angel of that matte window. And it will be a painful memory in the future that, in a fast and extremely competitive Premier League, a step that has not been made ahead, is often two steps back.
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