Arsene Wenger has already made his feelings clear on Mikel Arteta's Arsenal nightmare

Arsenal's Premier League title hopes suffered a body blow on Sunday after they were beaten 2-1 by Manchester City

Arsene Wenger has previously stated that Arsenal have lost out in the Premier League title race in recent years due to the fine margins and a lack of title-winning experience within the squad. The Gunners' latest title charge suffered a devastating blow on Sunday as they were beaten 2-1 away to title rivals Manchester City.

The loss borders on a nightmare for Mikel Arteta, with Arsenal having finished second in the last three seasons. In 2023, Arsenal lost out on the title to City by five points.

At the time, Wenger claimed Arteta and his players' lack of experience in winning Premier League titles would be a crucial factor in their ultimate undoing - an attribute that could lead to them finishing as runners-up once again this year.

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"Arsenal and these players have not been in the position to win the league before," Wenger told beIN Sports in April 2023. "Hopefully they win it this year and next year it will be easier. But now, when you have never won it, there will be a moment in the season when the tension comes in.

"When you start thinking more about the need to win than the process and how to play, it gets difficult. I felt that at Arsenal when I was there too."

Arteta's side missed out on the Premier League to City by just two points in the 2023/2024 season. Speaking in April 2024, Wenger, who led the Gunners to three Premier League titles during his 22-year spell as the club's manager, lamented the slip-ups his former club had made in their pursuit of the championship.

A defeat to Aston Villa and a goalless draw with City in the 2023/2024 season had angered Wenger, who believed Arsenal had to take their chances when they presented themselves. His old comments will no doubt be echoing in the ear of Arteta after this weekend's defeat in Manchester.

"It was a complete surprise," Wenger told beIN Sports in April 2024 when asked about the Villa defeat. "You know that when you play for the championship at home with eight games to go and you have the opportunity to make a difference, you have to take it.

"The surprise of the weekend is that City have their nose in front again. Nobody expected that. Of course, one could have a bad result but not the two and that is surprising. Arsenal still have an advantage with their goal difference.

"So even if City have a draw and we win, we'd be in front of them. The frustration was a bit on the day [they drew at City]. You didn't know after the game. OK it was a good point and a well-fought point because City didn't create much.

"I get as well the feeling that if they had pushed more, the three points were available there. You'll know at the end of the season, usually when you play against a big opponent and you can finish him off, you want to do it."

The loss to City on Sunday means Arsenal are now just three points ahead of Pep Guardiola's team, who have a game in hand. Arsenal have just a one goal advantage over the Citizens in goal difference too.

Arteta, however, still firmly believes his side can bring the title back to north London for the first time since 2004. Speaking after the City game, he said: "I believe today, I believe on Wednesday, a week ago, because I see them every day and I know the level that we have. But today, if they need to be more convinced, I think they are now more convinced.

"They were talking about it in the dressing room. It's a new league now. They were a game in hand. We have three points of advantage and five games to play. So everything is still to play for. So we know how much we want it and we're not going to stop and we're going to go again, that's for sure."