Arsenal look set for a third straight runners-up finish, with Mikel Arteta citing various factors behind their title fade. A rotated side drew with Brentford as focus shifted to Europe. Meanwhile, Arne Slot’s Liverpool edge closer to the crown after a dramatic 2-1 win over West Ham, sealed by Virgil van Dijk.
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00:00Mikel Arteta has pointed to a range of factors behind Arsenal's failure to keep pace with Liverpool in the title race
00:08as the Gunners face a third straight season, finishing as Premier League runners-up.
00:13A 1-1 draw with Brentford left them well off the pace, with Liverpool now just a few wins away from securing their 20th league crown.
00:22With a 3-0 lead over Real Madrid heading into the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final,
00:29Arteta appeared to prioritise that tie, rotating his squad at the weekend.
00:35It's a decision that underlines a change in focus, with the club's 21-year wait for a Premier League title set to continue.
00:42It is difficult because obviously there are a lot of reasons why we are with that distance and the amount of things that we have to deal with.
00:51And still, we are where we are, but yeah, we want to be higher, that's for sure.
00:56Despite Manchester City falling short this season, Arsenal have failed to take advantage.
01:03Instead, it's Arnie Schlotz-Liverpool who have stepped up, grinding out a crucial 2-1 win over West Ham,
01:10thanks to a late Virgil van Dijk header.
01:12The Dutch defender's 89th-minute winner came just minutes after West Ham had equalised through an unfortunate deflection of Andy Robertson.
01:24Van Dijk's response triggered a passionate celebration from Schlotz, who acknowledged the significance of the result in the title race.
01:33Our fans and our players fought differently because from the moment they scored the 1-1, we started playing again, we started pressing again.
01:41The fans were really loud at that moment of time and already the chance from Lucho, some good counter-press moments which led to the corner kick.
01:49And then we saved a big set-piece for a very important moment because in the modern game of football, set-pieces, what is that important?
01:58Schlotz's side are now within touching distance of the title, while Arteta and Arsenal are left reflecting on missed opportunities in a season that promised more than it will ultimately deliver.