
Premier League | Title race tightens after Arsenal stumbles; Man United 3rd
The Hindu
Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League table was cut down to four points after the draw to West Ham, while Manchester United are holding on to third place
Another week, another Arsenal stumble. Mikel Arteta has a job on his hands to keep his team's title challenge on track.
It was a case of history repeating itself as the Premier League leaders let another two-goal lead slip and dropped valuable points for the second week in a row. A 2-2 draw with West Ham on Sunday followed the same score line against Liverpool seven days earlier.
It's a costly habit to pick up, especially at a time when the wins are rolling in for second-place Manchester City.
While it all appears to be so easy for defending champion City, which recorded a 10th straight victory in all competitions by beating Leicester 3-1 on Saturday, Arsenal's form is wobbling.
As if back-to-back draws weren't bad enough for Arteta, it is the nature of his team's mini-meltdowns against Liverpool and West Ham that will be of most concern.
On both occasions Arsenal was cruising. But at the London Stadium, just like at Anfield, the Londoners unraveled when under pressure.
“My worry is after 2-0 that we made that huge mistake and did not understand what the game required in that moment," Arteta said. "We need that ruthless mindset to go kill a team and today we haven't done it.”