VIEWPOINT: Arsenal loses due to their own 'pressure', the championship opportunity is slipping away

Arsenal could not escape the psychological pressure from Manchester City and suffered a regrettable 1-2 defeat. At this point, Pep Guardiola's squad has almost caught up with the "Gunners" and now becomes the top contender for the championship.

There is an old film released just before World War II, named The Four Feathers. It is a story about cowardice and redemption, telling of a soldier who was given four feathers by his friends for refusing to serve, and then he successively returned each one through courageous actions.

Arsenal's manager, Mikel Arteta, entered this "final" match bearing a similar burden of those "four feathers," eager to dispel all doubts, responding to criticisms that he and the team often "collapse" at decisive moments by defeating their direct competitor.

This match revolves around the strength of Man City and the psychological dominance they hold over Arsenal. It also reflects Guardiola's psychological superiority over his former pupil Arteta. Above all, this was Arsenal's attempt to shed the label that has haunted them for years.

But they failed to do so. Arsenal came very close. They equalized once after trailing. They twice hit the post. Kai Havertz missed a golden opportunity late in the match, a situation that could have brought an equalizer and helped Arsenal maintain their advantage in the title race. Such missed chances can cost a team the championship.

That is why Arteta slumped in the technical area when Havertz's header went over the bar. He turned away in despair after another missed opportunity. He understood the cost of wasting chances against a formidable opponent like Man City.

And Man City were simply too outstanding. They were superior in every aspect: more composed, more resilient, more excellent, and more experienced. They know how to win titles. Erling Haaland, who scored the decisive goal in the second half, knows how to seize opportunities.

After this emotional 2-1 victory, Man City are becoming the leading contender for their fifth Premier League title in six years. The gap that was once 9 points is now only 3. If Man City defeat Burnley, they will rise to the top of the table. And once they gain the advantage, it will be very difficult to stop them.

When the final whistle sounded, many Arsenal players collapsed on the pitch, while Man City players looked up to the sky celebrating. In the stands, the home team's fans raised banners: "Panic on the streets of London".

Signs of Arsenal's tension appeared just after 4 minutes. When goalkeeper David Raya received the ball from Gabriel Magalhaes, he handled it clumsily under Haaland's pressure, causing the home crowd to "sense victory".

Soon after, Man City nearly opened the scoring when Rayan Cherki launched a dangerous shot forcing Gabriel to clear it onto the post. Referee Anthony Taylor denied Man City a penalty.

Not long after, Cherki scored with a classy move, bypassing a series of Arsenal players before finishing accurately. However, only 107 seconds later, Arsenal equalized when Havertz capitalized on Gianluigi Donnarumma's mistake.

The first half was balanced, but in the second half, Man City increased the pressure. Although Arsenal created many opportunities, including a situation where Havertz faced but could not score, they still could not take the lead.

Opportunities continued to come for Eberechi Eze but his shot sent the ball onto the post. And then Man City punished the opponent. From a combination on the left flank, the ball reached Haaland's feet and this striker finished to score the decisive goal.

Arsenal pushed forward but could not find an equalizer. And so, Arteta will have to continue carrying "the feathers" for some more time.