As Arsenal collapse in Premier League title race, here are the biggest bottlers in history

Jack Otway
Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:18:19 +0000

It's happening again.

Three years after being in control of the Premier League title race, only to end up missing out to Manchester City, Arsenal appear to be throwing away the crown once more.

Just weeks ago, the Gunners looked destined to win the country's ultimate prize. There was even talk of an unprecedented quadruple, with supporters of the north London titans daring to dream big.

But having missed out on the Carabao Cup to City, and suffered a nightmare FA Cup defeat to Southampton, it's all starting to go wrong for Mikel Arteta's men.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

This weekend was another crushing one. Not only did Arsenal lose to Bournemouth on Saturday, City then cruised to victory away at Chelsea.

Should Pep Guardiola's men overcome Arsenal at the Etihad on Sunday, then win their game in hand, they'll be level with Arteta's side at the summit.

With the wind in their sails, and experience of going all the way, City will proceed to become the favourites to lift the trophy everbody craves the most.

So, as Arsenal risk becoming a point of mockery for rival supporters, here are the biggest bottlers in the division's history.

Newcastle United (1995-96)

Newcastle held a massive 12-point lead over Manchester United in January 1996, making this the original Premier League collapse.

They squandered this cushion by dropping vital points, including a pivotal 1-0 home defeat directly to United and an iconic 4-3 loss to Liverpool.

Kevin Keegan’s legendary "I will love it" television rant exposed their cracking mentality.

Winning just two of eight games in a crucial spring stretch ultimately handed the title to Sir Alex Ferguson.

LATEST SPORTS NEWS:

Rory McIlroy atones for Erica Stoll mistake after securing second Masters victory

John Terry spends millions on buying EFL club where his nephew plays

Scottie Scheffler makes complaint after Rory McIlroy makes history with Masters triumph

Arsenal (2022-23)

Arsenal spent a record 248 days at the summit, boasting an eight-point lead in early April.

The collapse began by squandering consecutive 2-0 leads to draw 2-2 against both Liverpool and West Ham.

A catastrophic 3-3 draw against bottom-placed Southampton followed, bleeding further momentum.

Finally, a crushing 4-1 defeat to City obliterated their advantage completely. Despite a historic campaign, their late-season inability to close out matches allowed Guardiola’s relentless machine to overtake them.

Liverpool (2013-14)

Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool side seemed destined for glory after an 11-game winning streak put them five points clear with three games remaining.

The capitulation started with Steven Gerrard’s infamous slip, leading to a devastating 2-0 home defeat against Chelsea.

Desperate for goal difference, Liverpool then spectacularly imploded at Selhurst Park.

Dubbed "Crystanbul," they threw away a commanding 3-0 lead in the final eleven minutes to draw 3-3 with Crystal Palace, gifting City the championship.

Manchester United (2011-12)

Even Ferguson’s relentless winners occasionally faltered.

United held a commanding eight-point lead over local rivals City with just six matches remaining.

They astonishingly threw this away, starting with a shocking 1-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Wigan.

The fatal blow came when they surrendered a 4-2 lead at home against Everton to draw 4-4, before losing the Manchester derby directly to City. This paved the way for Sergio Aguero’s legendary last-second title-winning goal.

Arsenal (2007-08)

Arsenal led the league by five points in late February before a fateful trip to Birmingham City.

Following a horrific injury to striker Eduardo, Arsenal conceded a late penalty to draw 2-2, prompting captain William Gallas’s infamous on-pitch sit-down protest.

This sparked a miserable run of four consecutive draws and a costly defeat to Chelsea.

By squandering narrow leads and losing their composure, they allowed United to snatch a title they had largely dominated before fate cruelly struck.