“Arsenal and the biggest disasters in the fight for the Premier League title.”

It is the painful reality of English football: leading the Premier League for months and, in the end, letting the title slip away. This phenomenon, known among fans as “bottling,” is a stigma that haunts teams that seemed to have the championship in their grasp but ultimately failed in a dramatic fashion. Arsenal, despite being the team that has experienced this nightmare the most in the last two decades, is not the only one. Historic rivals and outsiders have also had epic slips, some so shocking that they remain etched in the memories of fans.

To understand the biggest failures in the title race of the Premier League, we turned to Chris Collinson, a statistician at BBC Sport, who specializes in analyzing tables and numbers that tell stories of glory and disappointment. According to his analysis, Arsenal deserves attention for the number of times it has seen a dream slip through its fingers, but there are emblematic cases that deserve highlighting: from Leicester’s surprising rise under Ranieri in 2015-16 to Kevin Keegan’s iconic monologue, which 30 years ago symbolized the pain of impending defeat.

Let’s then look at the ranking of the biggest failures in the Premier League title race, where emotion and frustration intertwine in a fierce battle until the last game.

Tottenham Hotspur – 2015-16 Season It was a year for Tottenham fans to daydream. Mauricio Pochettino’s young and vibrant team seemed ready to end a title drought that had lasted since 1961. However, the improbable Leicester City, led by the charismatic Claudio Ranieri, pulled off one of the biggest surprises in world football, winning the title with odds of 5000-1. Tottenham tried to capitalize on a Leicester crisis, but a decisive draw in the “Battle of the Bridge” and two defeats in the final matches condemned the team to third place. A disappointment that still echoes in the halls of White Hart Lane.

Norwich City – 1992-93 Season A surprising protagonist in the first season of the Premier League, Norwich City led the competition for 129 days, an impressive feat for a team that had finished in 20th place the previous year. With a strengthened squad after selling Robert Fleck for £2 million, the Canaries invested in young talents like Chris Sutton. However, the arrival of Eric Cantona at Manchester United changed the course of the race, relegating Norwich to a final third place. A dream that faded, but one that remains in history.

Liverpool – 2018-19 Season Liverpool’s perfect season nearly bore fruit: 97 points, an impressive record, but not enough to surpass Manchester City. Under the management of Jürgen Klopp, the Reds dominated the league for 141 days, but a crucial defeat against the Citizens, marked by a heroic defense from John Stones, proved to be the turning point. Four draws in six matches compromised their lead, and even a run of nine consecutive victories at the end of the season was not enough to prevent their rivals from lifting the trophy.

Arsenal – 2002-03 Season Arsène Wenger and Arsenal experienced a bitter repetition of a phenomenon that seemed to be occurring again: letting a comfortable lead slip away. Following the glorious Invincibles season, where they suffered not a single defeat, Wenger predicted a new era of dominance, announcing a “power shift” after clinching the title at Old Trafford. However, in the following season, despite leading for almost five months, Arsenal failed to maintain their advantage, handing the title over to their rivals. A harsh blow for Gunners fans, accustomed to dramatic highs and lows.

These stories are more than just simple sporting failures; they are lessons about pressure, resilience, and the unpredictable drama of football at the highest level. While Arsenal struggles to shake off the ghosts of the past, other teams continue to dream of the day they can finally overcome the barrier of “almost” and write their name in the history of the Premier League as true champions. The title race is relentless, and thesefinal whistle.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.