Final day title challenges unfavourable for Arsenal’s Premier League target

Arsenal face a daunting challenge on the final matchday of the 2023/2024 Premier League season, attempting to achieve what no club has done before: win the title from second place.

Manchester City secured the top spot after a 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night, leaving Arsenal needing a win against Everton at home. The Gunners can clinch the title if City fail to defeat West Ham at the Etihad Stadium.

Historically, such turnarounds have been rare in the Premier League’s annals, making Arsenal’s task even more formidable.

Looking back, here’s a glimpse at some pivotal Premier League title races that were decided on the final day of the season.

2021-22

Man City and Liverpool have battled it for the title the most in the last decade, with a firm rivalry of quality between Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.

The 2021/22 season was the third occasion in nine years where both teams fought for the title all the way to the final day of the campaign. Guardiola’s side had not lost a game since October at the time and led Klopp’s team in the standings with only one point. After an hour, Liverpool were drawing against Wolves but City were 2-0 down, only to mount a remarkable comeback to win 3-2. Both teams grabbed the wins on the day, but Ilkay Gundogan stole the show with a brace as the Cityzens were crowned champions.

• We’d like to be 3-0 up after 10 minutes – Guardiola ahead of final day clash against West Ham

2018-19

One of the most competitive seasons in the last decade of the English Premier League. Liverpool lost only one game throughout the campaign (to City in January), and had won 10 and drawn three of their last 13 matches before the final match day. However, the Cityzens had won all 13 of their matches over the same period and led the Merseyside Reds by a point. Both sides eventually won their games on the last day, City 4-1 at Brighton and Liverpool 2-0 against Wolves, as Klopp’s team finished second with a record 97 points for a runner-up indicating how good Pep Guardiola has drilled out his team since he took over the Cityzens.

2013-14
A season that began Liverpool’s title rivalry with Manchester City. The gap between the two sides was two points but that campaign was heavily memorable for Steven Gerrard’s slip at home to Chelsea that led to the Merseyside Reds’ first league defeat since December, three matches from the end of the season at the time.

City had two games in hand and a superior nine-goal difference on the table. Chasing the goals heading into the final day, Liverpool collapsed from 3-0 up at Crystal Palace with 11 minutes to go to draw 3-3. That meant City only needed a draw at home to West Ham on the final day. They eventually won 2-0 as Liverpool beat Newcastle 2-1 to finish their season as runners-up of the title.

2011-12

A year Manchester City fans will remember for a very long time, as Martin Tyler screamed the name Aguero in injury time. The beginning of City’s modern-day dominance.

They were level on points with Manchester United but ahead on goal difference. However, on the final match day, they were 2-1 down to QPR until Edin Dzeko equalised in the 90th minute. Man United grabbed the victory at the Stadium of Light, and it seemed Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were champions. However, in the fifth minute of additional time, Aguero stepped up and made history by winning City the title.

2009-10

Chelsea approached the final day of the season knowing a win at Wigan would deny United a fourth successive Premier League triumph.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side put in an emphatic 8-0 victory, with Didier Drogba scoring a hat-trick on the day, with the Blues thereby recording a then-Premier League benchmark of 103 goals for the season, and rendering United’s 4-0 win at home to Stoke pointless.

2007-08

Both Manchester United and Chelsea were level on points ahead of the last game week, but United’s goal difference was vastly superior. The Red Devils beat Wigan 2-0, while Chelsea shared the spoils with Bolton in a 2-2 draw and finished the season in second place.

Man City and Arsenal have it all to play for on matchday 38 of the season being separated by only two point. The Gunners will need to beat Everton at home and hope that West Ham United can deny Pep Guardiola’s side of all three points. Yet that scenario looks unlikely by the day as City are in course to become the first team to win the title four times on the bounce.