Arteta ‘pain’ as Arsenal fall short in Premier League title race

Mikel Arteta says seeing Liverpool win the Premier League has been “painful” after Arsenal fell short in the title race for a third successive season.

Liverpool’s thumping 5-1 win at home to Tottenham on Sunday put them out of reach of nearest challengers Arsenal with four games to go.

It is a huge blow for Arsenal, who have missed out yet again after pushing Manchester City all the way for the past two seasons.

Arteta congratulated Liverpool on their triumph, which he said was fully deserved, but he said it hurt “big time”.

“I understand that (Liverpool) are a team that is being more consistent and they have a lot of ingredients that you need to win it, but it’s very painful,” he said on Friday.

The Spaniard added: “I take the opportunity as well to congratulate Liverpool and what they’ve done in the manner that they’ve done, how consistent they’ve been.

“And I think they fully deserve to win it. They were the better team. They had so many attributes. They had consistently their squad available. 

“And we’re going to try again. But up to that moment next season, now we’re going to have to finish the season very strong.”

Arsenal have not won the Premier League since 2004, under Arsene Wenger.

The Gunners’ title bid has been weakened by a rolling injury crisis, with six first-team players still out.

Arteta, who was also without the suspended Thomas Partey for their 1-0 defeat in the Champions League semi-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, underlined the scale of the problem.

“I was very shocked just before the game against PSG at home because I was walking into the dressing room and suddenly I saw all of them together sitting,” he said.

“It was (Takehiro) Tomiyasu, next to him (Riccardo) Calafiori, next to him Gabriel Magalhaes, next to him Thomas Partey, next to him Kai Havertz, next to him Gabriel Jesus, next to him Jorginho. 

“I said, ‘That’s a starting line-up’. And we don’t have them. We haven’t had them for many, many months. And then I felt joy about the team and what they are doing and how they’re trying and nobody’s talking about it in the building at all.”

Arteta, whose side host mid-table Bournemouth on Saturday, said finishing second in the Premier League was the target now.

Arsenal are five points clear of third-placed Newcastle with four games to play, with the top five all qualifying for next season’s Champions League.