Mikel Arteta vowed Arsenal would come back stronger and win the Premier League after they suffered title heartbreak for a second season in a row.
The Gunners claimed a late 2-1 win over Everton on the final day but Manchester City’s 3-1 victory at home to West Ham crowned them champions for a fourth consecutive year.
Any chances of last-day jeopardy appeared minimal from the outset, but were reduced even further when City scored twice early on before Idrissa Gueye’s deflected free-kick in the 40th minute put the visitors ahead at the Emirates.
💬 "Don’t be satisfied. We want much more than that - and we are gonna get it." pic.twitter.com/OSFhCAypDP
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 19, 2024
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Takehiro Tomiyasu levelled three minutes later, which was around the time West Ham reduced the deficit at the Etihad, but there would be no dramatic twist.
A tap-in by Kai Havertz with a minute left did at least ensure the Gunners ended a brilliant season on 89 points to show further signs of progress under their Spanish coach, who is determined to help his squad go one better next season.
“First of all congrats to Manchester City for winning the Premier League,” Arteta reflected.
“Today some mixed emotions. First of all, to be really proud of the staff and those players.
“They’ve done an incredible job and they have pushed every limit and every margin that we could to try to win this Premier League.
“Unfortunately it a bit short and we couldn’t deliver the prize that we wanted.
“They (City) took it away from us. It’s the second season.
“There’s only one way to do it – you have to be more determined, you have to be more ambitious, you have to have a lot of courage and push every limit in everything that we have. That’s the next step.
“If we do what we have to do, we’re going to be closer and at the end we’ll win it. When? I don’t know, but if we keep knocking and being that close, in the end it will happen.”
Arsenal had been close to perfect in the league since the turn of the year with this a 16th victory from 18 games in 2024.
One of the two fixtures where they dropped points was a goalless draw at the Etihad, which proved decisive as Pep Guardiola’s side clinched the title by two points, but Arteta pinpointed the 2-0 loss to Aston Villa last month as more crucial.
He also referenced the late miss by Tottenham captain Son Heung-min in their midweek defeat to City.
Arteta added: “For sure, Aston Villa at home. In the first half it should have been 4-0. Maybe the story would have been different.
“What happened last Tuesday, maybe we could have been champions.
“These are the margins that are so, so, so small. That’s the credit that the club and the team should take. We’re doing this against the best team in the history of the Premier League by far.”
2023/24 = ✅ pic.twitter.com/saIB7tT4lz
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 19, 2024
Asked if it might take 100 points to win the title, former City assistant Arteta admitted: “Yeah. But I was there when we did 100 points (in 2017-18) so I know what it takes. I know what happened and this is the level.
“No-one has to explain what the level is because I was there four years every day and I know what we have to do if we are going to reach there. Not only for one season, but for the rest.
“We are on the right path, the right journey and to see the evolution so quickly happening, I haven’t seen it before.
“So we’re on the right trajectory and now we need really to pull the teeth and bite into it because we really want more.”
Defeat for Everton failed to deny them a 15th-place finish, which was impressive given they faced two points deductions during the campaign.
"It was a right and proper performance for what we wanted to do for ourselves and our fans. Unfortunately, we don't end the season six unbeaten, but there were a lot of positives to come out of another performance away from home and at a tough place."
Sean Dyche's #ARSEVE… pic.twitter.com/K2q4FWpz1j— Everton (@Everton) May 19, 2024
Toffees boss Sean Dyche said: “I’ve had my own challenges so not really bothered about (the title race) too much, but it’s good for the fans and for the greater good of the Premier League to go down to today.
“Really, really powerful seasons for the sides up there and very exciting all the way down to today.
“I think deep down everyone probably thought Man City would see it through today but that’s the beauty of football, you never know.”
