A look back at the 2022/23 Premier League season

In a captivating crescendo, the 2022/23 Premier League season gracefully waltzed to its grand finale, leaving the footballing world spellbound. The final match day brought surprises and shocks that sent shockwaves through the hearts of English top-flight aficionados.

Former Premier League champions Leicester City suffered an unexpected fate, ending up in the Championship despite their 2-1 win over West Ham. Their bitter rivals Everton’s lone goal against West Ham saved them from relegation but sent the Foxes tumbling down a division.

The final match day also witnessed bottom-placed Southampton playing out an enthralling 4-4 draw against Liverpool, while Frank Lampard’s side managed to force a draw against Champions League-bound Newcastle after initially falling behind.

Among the unfolding tales of the season, one story stood out—the rise and fall of Arsenal. Manchester City weathered the tempestuous seas to secure their illustrious third consecutive Premier League crown, while Arsenal, with bitter irony, found themselves labeled as the lamentable “bottle jobs” of the league.

Critics argued that Arsenal had “bottled” the league title despite spending the most time at the top of the Premier League table among all the title contenders. However, Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, vehemently denied these claims, asserting that his team never faltered under pressure. Staunch Arsenal fanatics also believed that their team’s time at the top was a result of stretching their luck and overreaching.

But what was the truth? Did Arsenal truly bottle the league, or were they aiming higher than they had bargained for?

To fully understand Arsenal’s journey, we must rewind to the start of the 2022/23 season. Pundits and punters alike had placed their bets on Manchester City and Liverpool for another title showdown. The summer signings of Erling Haaland and Darwin Nunez by both clubs further fueled the narrative surrounding the upcoming Premier League season.

Liverpool’s 3-1 victory over Manchester City in the FA Community Shield added to the belief that another title charge between the two giants was on the cards. However, the first match day saw Liverpool narrowly avoiding defeat against newly promoted Fulham, and Manchester City struggled in the early stages, as did their neighbors, Manchester United.

It was during this time that an unexpected force emerged in the form of Arsenal. They confidently strode into the top of the table on the first match day and continued to hold that position until the World Cup break, effectively splitting the season into two halves. Whispers filled the air—could Arsenal really do it? Were they merely early-season frontrunners? Many believed they were destined to be overtaken by eventual champions Manchester City.

Even Manchester City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, at one point, resigned to awarding Arsenal the title, conceding ‘defeat’ to the seemingly unstoppable Gunners.

With their impressive start to the season and Liverpool’s unexpected struggles under Jurgen Klopp, fans dared to dream of an Arsenal title challenge against none other than Manchester City. The Gunners’ winning streak against top teams confounded everyone, and despite injuries to key players Gabriel Jesus and Thomas Partey, Arsenal continued to collect crucial three points.

It all seemed to be going smoothly until April arrived. The consecutive draws against West Ham, Liverpool, and Southampton proved to be Arsenal’s downfall, as those lost points proved vital. The fateful rematch against Manchester City at the Etihad further highlighted Arsenal’s true capabilities.

Manchester City’s dominant performance against Arsenal revealed that the Gunners were, in fact, overachievers in the 2022/23 season. They had unexpectedly raced to the top of the table when the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea had all fallen below expectations early on. This unforeseen situation gave Arsenal the belief to keep winning, but eventually, the struggling teams regained their form and posed a challenge that Arsenal had not anticipated.

Premier League

As the new season approaches, doubts loom over Arsenal’s prospects, casting a veil of skepticism that even Mikel Arteta, Kroenke, and the league’s pundits and punters cannot escape. While their goal was to achieve Champions League football, and they ultimately succeeded, the debate remains whether Arsenal were genuine overachievers or Premier League bottlers who took advantage of a fluke situation.

The 2022/23 Premier League season will be remembered for its twists and turns, and Arsenal’s journey will serve as a reminder of the unpredictability that makes football the beautiful game that it is.