Following Arsenal’s defeat against Bournemouth in the Premier League, the possibility of them ‘bottling’ the league title has become all the more probable. It wouldn’t be the first time something like this has happened – plenty of teams have seen the Premier League title slip through their fingers.
Today, we’ll be looking at five of the most infamous examples of this Premier League history – including from the likes of Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United.
Tottenham Hotspur – 2015/16
If Tottenham were ever going to win a Premier League title, this was by far their strongest chance. Not only did they fail to win the league this season, they weren’t even able to finish second – they were pipped to the post on the final day by bitter rivals Arsenal.
In fairness, this season was a title bottlejob for every top team in the division – this was the season that Leicester City stunned the world to win the Premier League. The Foxes were excellent that season, but Spurs will forever rue the 2015/16 campaign as a missed opportunity.
Even worse, it was Chelsea who inflicted this ignomy upon Spurs. In the infamous ‘Battle of the Bridge’, the Blues came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Tottenham, handing Leicester the title and shooting the Lilywhites’ dreams down in flames.
Arsenal – 2022/23
Arsenal fans will be experiencing a grim sense of deja vu at the moment – their current predicament is eeriely similar to their situation three years prior.
The Gunners looked set to win the title in 2022/23, commanding an eight point lead over Manchester City at one point. However, a trio of draws right at the end of the season opened the door for Pep Guardiola’s men – the Sky Blues demonstrated their ruthlessness, snatching the title away from Arsenal at the death.
This season, their lead has been even greater than this – but, as ever, City are hot on their trail. They will need to keep the 2022/23 season in mind – and do everything in their power to avoid a repeat.
Liverpool – 2013/14
Steven Gerrard never had a better chance to win the Premier League title. In a cruel twist of fate, it was a mistake from the Liverpool captain that aided in their downfall – everyone remembers the infamous slip against Chelsea.
It was perhaps one of the most enduring images in football history, but it wasn’t the final nail in the coffin. No – it would be their failure to beat Crystal Palace in the following game. Despite commanding a 3-0 lead, Liverpool drew 3-3 in a game that would go down in infamy as ‘Crystanbul’.
Once again, it would be the ever-opportunistic Manchester City who beat them to the punch, as Manuel Pellegrini won his first and only Premier League title with the Citizens.
Manchester United – 1997/98
The 1997/98 season is arguably the biggest black mark on the decorated career of Alex Ferguson. The Red Devils had a massive lead over the rest of the pack for most of the season – yet, at the campaign’s end, they were trophy-less.
A dreadful run of form in the twilight of the campaign allowed Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal to make up the deficit – they eventually won the title with just two games remaining, but would only finish at the top of the table by a single point after 38 games had been played.
United would go on to win the treble in the following season – it’s fair to say that Fergie had the last laugh in this scenario.
Newcastle United – 1995/96
When one thinks of teams that bottled the Premier League title, the mind instantly wanders towards Newcastle United’s cataclysmic collapse at the end of the 1995/96 season. Brought on by a combination of defensive frailities and Ferguson’s machiavellian mind games, this will take some beating.
Keegan’s famous quote of “I will love it if we beat them,” followed by the image of him slumped over the dugout, is perhaps the most frequently-recited story in Premier League history.
To this day, Newcastle have still yet to win the Premier League title – they may never get a better opportunity than they did in 1996.