Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, remains optimistic about his team’s chances in the Premier League title race, emphasizing that there is still a mathematical possibility for them to clinch the trophy.

Throughout the season, the Gunners had consistently held the top position in the league, aiming to break their 19-year drought and secure the championship.

In the face of relentless pressure from Manchester City, who have achieved an impressive 11-game winning streak, Arsenal has struggled in recent months.

Mikel Arteta’s team, unfortunately, has experienced a downturn in form, managing to secure victories in only two out of their last seven matches.

Arteta told Sky Sports “We have to apologise because the performance we had in the second-half is not acceptable.

“Mathematically (winning the league) it’s still possible and this is football but today it is impossible to be thinking about it. We have to first digest the result, the performance that we had in the second half, and understand why and have a very different reaction in the next game.”

In the upcoming match between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest on Saturday, a loss for Arsenal would result in Manchester City clinching the title for the fifth time in six seasons and securing a third consecutive title.

Even if Arsenal manages to respond positively with a victory at Forest, City can still secure the title by winning their match against Chelsea on May 21 or by earning three points in their remaining fixtures against Brighton and Brentford.

It is worth noting that Arsenal’s involvement in the title race has exceeded expectations, and their achievement of securing Champions League qualification for the first time in seven seasons is commendable.

According to Arteta, Arsenal’s inability to bounce back after conceding Julio Enciso’s header early in the second half serves as a warning sign for the team as they look ahead to the next season.

In the closing stages of the match, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan further compounded Arsenal’s disappointment by adding to their lead, intensifying the agony for the Gunners. Brighton’s victory in that match marked a significant milestone for the club, as it propelled them closer to securing European qualification for the first time in their history.

Arteta added “We concede a goal and from there the team had no reaction. When you give away the silly goal we gave away, the second one, the team collapsed and had no answers. If the team is able to do that there is something we have to address.”

Martin Odegaard, the captain of Arsenal, has acknowledged that the title race is essentially concluded

He said “Yeah it feels like that. It is going to be very difficult now we have to be honest. It is tough to take.

“It is not a good feeling at the moment. The way we played, particularly in the second half, I don’t know what happened to be honest. It feels like there is no hope now.”

Despite their late collapse, Odegaard insisted his young teammates had been mentally tough enough for the pressure of the title race.

He said “We wanted to come here and continue like we have in the last two games, get a good result and keep pushing. It is a big disappointment.

“In the first half we did a lot of good things and had moments to create big chances but we gave them more and more momentum in the second half.

“I don’t think mentality was an issue. We were good going into the game but in the game was a different story and we have to accept it and learn from it.” he added.