Arsenal paid the price in the title race for a lack of experience and squad depth

Shortly after the final whistle sounded at the Emirates on Sunday, Mike Dunlap, of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA team, offered his two cents on Arsenal’s broken dreams.

‘Growth can be painful at times,’ the man who is part of Mikel Arteta’s infamous coaching group told Mail Sport.

This week, it will be hard for Arteta and his players to see through the fog of disappointment. To pick out the positives of a remarkable campaign and the lessons to learn from these past couple of months.

But amid the rubble of this result and their failed title bid lie building blocks for an even brighter future.

Here, Mail Sport looks at what cost Arsenal in their tussle with Manchester City — and what they can do to come again.

SLIMLINE SQUAD

Sunday’s double-header highlighted the challenge of trying to compete with City. It is remarkable that Arsenal matched them for so long.

At Goodison Park, with Real Madrid to come in midweek, Pep Guardiola shuffled his pack against Everton.

John Stones, Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne were all rested. In came Aymeric Laporte, Riyad Mahrez, Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden. A nonsense of riches.

It is no coincidence that Arteta, in contrast, made only one enforced change. The Arsenal boss has made 12 fewer tweaks to his starting XI than any other Premier League manager this season. That has helped his side gel and allowed combinations to develop. But it has also illustrated the gap in resources.

Arsenal’s starting XI have been a match for everyone this season. But the drop-off to many fringe players has been too great.

The recent injury to William Saliba, for example, has proved costly. So has the drop-off in form of Thomas Partey. It’s no wonder, really. Arsenal are ahead of schedule. They are not built for a title challenge. Let alone for the demands of Europe as well.

As Arteta conceded: ‘With the level that is required for the Premier League and to fight for the Champions League, there’s a lot to think about.’

GREEN GUNNERS

Aaron Ramsdale admitted not long ago that many of Arsenal’s players weren’t quite sure how to deal with the demands of a title race. The goalkeeper was not suggesting they were cowed by the challenge — they were simply entering uncharted waters as the second-youngest average starting XI in the league.

Arteta has swerved suggestions that pressure is to blame for their blip, claiming recently: ‘I don’t even want to think about that. If that’s the case then you are not prepared to go to the next stage that is required at this level. So if that’s the reality, that’s not going to be acceptable.’

But there have been indications — heightened emotions, individual errors, even complacency according to their manager — that some Arsenal minds have become frazzled in recent months. It doesn’t help, of course, that Arteta is learning as he goes along. Yes, the Spaniard has been part of title-winning teams at City but steering the ship brings different challenges.

Supporters will wonder whether Arteta should have rotated his squad more. Whether his touchline passion was both beneficial and detrimental.

They will ask why the control that underpinned their early-season success deserted them recently. Whether they simply ran out of puff.

Arteta rejected that notion but on April 1, Arsenal were eight points clear. Since then, they have taken nine points from 21 while City have not dropped any.

BIG SUMMER SPREE?

Arsenal must back Arteta in the transfer window to ensure all this progress is not spurned. Particularly given their top-six rivals will be stronger next season.

The north London club are expected to be busy — they will need to be, with several players such as Granit Xhaka and Kieran Tierney linked with moves away this summer. Arsenal must steel themselves to compete on multiple fronts. Their second-string won’t coast through Champions League matches like they did in the Europa League.

And that means Arsenal need more than reinforcements. They need added quality and added flexibility — different options to give Arteta different ways to play.

Declan Rice is a primary target and would strengthen their midfield. They remain interested in Moises Caicedo, who put in an astonishing performance for Brighton on Sunday.

The fact it came at right back won’t be lost on Arsenal, either. They need defensive additions having shipped 25 home league goals this season — the most in a single campaign since leaving Highbury. Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi is among those on their radar.

Arsenal’s owners, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, have been here before.

Under a young coach, Sean McVay, the LA Rams reached the Super Bowl in February 2019, only to fall short. The Kroenkes backed the coach — bolstering his roster with established stars — and were repaid with the Vince Lombardi Trophy three years later.

Arsenal co-chair Josh Kroenke was at the Emirates on Sunday, accompanied by McVay.

The mental scars of this campaign will be harder to fix. Arteta’s players will have to learn from the fine margins of recent weeks, while the manager will have to become more flexible in his selection policy.

That would make Arsenal more unpredictable and more versatile. But also help prevent key players fading down the stretch.

‘Arsenal will be back,’ Dunlap said. ‘Steps at a time’.