Hector Bellerin admits that Arsenal’s two victories against Leicester only add to the disappointment that the Gunners couldn’t maintain a stronger title challenge.
The right-back, one of Arsene Wenger’s most consistent performers this campaign and recently voted into the PFA Team of the Year, made clear that the Foxes, who have only lost three games, are worthy champions at the end a topsy-turvy Premier League season.
“It kind of adds to the frustration,” Bellerin told Sky Sports as he reflected on the 5-2 and 2-1 wins over Claudio Ranieri’s side.
“In both games you can see we’ve been superior to them and you’ve played great football and have managed to beat the champions. That makes you think you had a bigger chance than you thought [to win the title].
“I have to say they were great contenders in both games. They are a team that had great ideas and knew what to do in every single moment, they were organised and that’s what’s seen them through to the title.”
Playing down suggestions that Arsenal blew a great chance to win the title given the poor form of others, Bellerin continued:
“Every year, every single year, you have a chance of winning it. This year has been a bit weird in terms of results.
“There have been big teams that have finished really low in the table and not achieved what’s expected of them.
“Then there are smaller teams that have finished higher, so it’s been a bit of a change. There’s been a lot of great games during the season and that’s nice to see.
“It’s [a breath] of fresh air and I’m sure people are really loving the competition that there is now between every single team. Whoever you play against you have to be at 100 per cent.”
Arsenal travel to the Etihad on Sunday knowing a win against Manchester City will seal at least third place and automatic qualification to the group stage of next season’s Champions League.
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I love Hector. A smart kid with a ton of ability and a really bright future. So happy he’s at Arsenal.
And a phenomenal Spockney accent!
The winners of Epl are the best team over 38 matches and Leicester surely were. Individual match-ups count for nothing if you are inconsistent – which (once again) was our undoing. I hope we learn our lessons.
Speaking of City, if they play the way they played against Soton and Real, I fancy us getting at least a draw, which will all but seal third place.
Sod that let’s go for the win! Tottenham Hotspur, we’re coming for you…..
I hope it finishes 1-1 at Newcastle (and we win our remaining two fixtures).
We can only finish above the spuds if they drop points in each of their last 2 games and we win both of ours. Don’t forget their massive goals difference on everyone else.
Easy. Beat city 12-0 then Aston Villa 8-0.
Complacency did us, I believe that the team thought they would win when on top in early January (Ozil said as much). Losing to Watford and Swansea was crazy given the matches. Giroud and Walcott’s scoring records are also crazy, also in a bad way.
We have the talent to do it, if we had the Atletico or Leicester drive to win we would have done it. I hope they learn.
We only lost to Watford in the FA cup, which result had no bearing on our premiership position.
True.
The point was that it was a match like the West Brom match, very few shots on our goal and they scored practically all of them (West Brom had one shot on target and ended up with two goals, given the Arteta og). We needed a killer instinct and got punished for not having one, losing the chance to win three FA Cups in a row as well as the PL.
‘smaller’ teams that have finished higher..LOL he is obviously talking about tottenham!
Wenger out!
Iwobi, Bellerin, Campbell, Coquelin.
Campbell, Dick Law wasting his time in the Costa Rican jungle. Joel will never be Arsenal standard.
Coquelin. Get out while you can.
Bellerin. The more limited Jenkinson who has less technical ability and crosses into the box blind anytime
Iwobi. Who is he?
Next you’ll say something about Jeff, Zelalem or Gnabry.
Gaffer has clearly lost it.
I believe any sort of negative remark regarding your analytical abilities would do the job here.
“The Coasta Rican Jungle”. Is no one gonna address the racism there. You lack all sorts of class.
Costa Rica Demographics (from Wikipedia): The 2011 census counted a population of 4,301,712 people distributed among the following groups: 83.6% whites or mestizos, 6.7% mulattoes, 2.4% Native American, 1.1% black or Afro-Caribbean, and 5.2% others. An average Costa Rican from the Central Valley has an 67.5% European, 29.3% Amerindian and 3.2% African ancestry. Exactly who is he being racist against? Did you leap to the conclusion that jungle = (a particular race of) people? You have a problem with your own attitude to race right there mate. Just stick to criticising his post for it’s disjointed stream-of-consciousness pointless rambling, and… Read more »
Where are the titles to show for these great discoveries?? You keep going on about campbell like he’s won player of the year or whatever.
Fact is we’re going to finish 3rd-4th. No improvement from last season. So yes, Wenger out!
What if it were the last game of the season and we’d play Leicester. A win would take us to fourth place but sp•rs would be champions. And a loss would make leicester champions but no CL for us next season. What would you choose?
Losing to Leicester.
I have something similar to your post… I have one enormous bollock and fifteen tiny bollocks, and that’s quite a load.
Let’s beat man city and our last game of the season will take care of itself.
We would rather be above the spuds Hector.
If we beat City then there’s a really good chance that they miss out on the Champions League next season. Hopefully, that would have an adverse effect on Pep’s recruiting this summer. Also, it would be hilarious. Let’s get it done! COYG
We all know the team ballsed up big time this season but Hector does make a fair point, ALL the big teams ballsed up and with the exception of Man City were slightly worse, a fair bit worse Man U and Liverpool or piss poor (Chelsea) this year. Also for all our defensive frailties we have the third best defence in terms of goals shipped in the Pl so far and Petr Cech is tied with Kaspar for most clean sheets this season. Hope he get’s the golden glove again!
Leicester winning the league truly is an aberration in Premier League history. The other way, Arsenal failing in the last sprint has become the norm.
And before people begin to scream, I’m not Wenger-out, I think he realistically is our best chance at winning. In my opinion it’s the club structure that has changed for the worse.
Surprisingly, Bleacher Report wrote a really great article. Everyone should give it a read.
http://thelab.bleacherreport.com/gooners-out-tourists-in/
We should have focused on league games ,but it is all over right now,it does not make any sense to say that.
I like have banged the girl last night lol…!