Japan defender Takehiro Tomiyasu was disappointed after Arsenal missed out on the English Premier League title by two points to Manchester City on Sunday, but was encouraged by a strong finish to an injury-plagued season. Ta.
“I am acutely aware of how difficult it is to win the Premier League title,” Tomiyasu said after Arsenal's late 2-1 home victory against Everton came to nothing.
City entered the final day in first place with a 3-1 home victory over West Ham, securing a record fourth successive league win.
“The fact that we had a chance to win until the last game of the season makes it even more disappointing,” Tomiyasu said.
At the Emirates Stadium, Tomiyasu scored his second goal for the club with a cut-back from Martin Odegaard in the 43rd minute, three minutes after Idrissa Guillier's deflected free-kick had given Everton the lead. Kai Havertz scored the winning goal in the 89th minute, but it was not enough to end the London club's 20-year league title drought.
Arsenal's Takehiro Tomiyasu (C) celebrates his goal against Everton during the first half of the English Premier League match at Emirates Stadium in London on May 19, 2024 (Getty/Kyodo News)
Arsenal finished runners-up for the second year in a row, with an astonishing record of 16 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss in 18 games since January, and Tomiyasu was in top form during his preparation period.
Tomiyasu returned to the league for the first time in three months in late March, initially coming off the bench before earning a permanent position at left back. He started the final five games of the season and helped Mikel Arteta's side claim maximum points as they chased Pep Guardiola's side to the end.
Tomiyasu said, “It's unfortunate that I was injured and couldn't play all season.'' “However, I want to take a positive view of the fact that I was able to play in the last 10 games of the season, when the situation was serious and there was pressure to compete for the title.”
“Despite the injury, I think the last 10 games of the season with a decent performance will remain in the memories of those watching. “It would have been even better if we could have won the title on top of that, but I think it would have been even better if we had won the title on top of that. That's positive.'' We were able to finish the season strong. ”
The 25-year-old, who extended his contract until at least 2026 in March, believes the Gunners are on the right track as the Champions League quarter-finalists did not run out of gas like they did last season. But he also admitted it would be a move away from City. It's not an easy job.
“There is no doubt that Arsenal's football has evolved to this point since the beginning of this season and will continue to evolve next season,” Tomiyasu said.
“Not winning the league shows how consistent City are and how accustomed they are to competing for titles. We used our experience from last season to fight until the end and we didn't stall like we did last year. However, it still wasn't enough.''There are some things that can be improved, so we will reflect them. ”
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