Arsenal chief Edu admits ‘there are things that unfortunately mean I cannot say what I feel’ about being pipped to title by Man City, as he reflects on ‘very strange feeling’

Arsenal sporting director Edu has claimed he ‘cannot say’ how he really feels about his side missing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City. 

The Gunners kept pace with Pep Guardiola‘s side all throughout the 2023-24 season but were pipped to the title by just two points after a dramatic final day. 

Many, including Edu, had thought that Mikel Arteta and his side had done to clinch the title, as he insisted they felt they had ‘done everything right’. 

Speaking to Estadao, Edu said: ‘There are things that unfortunately I cannot say what I feel. It’s a strange feeling, very strange! 

‘Because we end the season with the feeling that we’ve done everything right. From the signings and the goals to the renewals. 

Manchester City pipped Arsenal by two points to win their fourth consecutive league title

‘Mikel did a great job and achieved the goals. We did everything we could, but it wasn’t enough. There’s frustration, but there’s also a positive feeling that the process was done well. The work was excellent.’

City are still awaiting an outcome for 115 charges for allegedly breaching financial rules – that are strongly denied by the club.

The charges include a failure to provide accurate financial information between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, a failure to provide accurate details of player and manager payments during the same period, and alleged breaches of Premier League and UEFA financial rules.

A total of 35 relate to a failure to co-operate with Premier League investigations into the matter between December 2018 and February 2023. A date for City’s hearing has yet to be confirmed and with legal challenges and appeals, is likely to drag on for several years yet.

As such, many have argued that City’s recent successes will always have an ‘asterisk’ alongside them, while others such as Ian Wright have claimed it is ‘unfair’ for their titles to be so overshadowed as the 15-month wait for a resolution continues.

Despite the ongoing debates about City’s success amidst their 115 charges, Edu still took time to praise manager Guardiola for his work at the club. 

He said: ‘But all the credit in the world to Pep for the training and work he’s been doing since he started his career. 

City are still awaiting an outcome for 115 charges for allegedly breaching financial rules

Edu insisted that Arsenal did everything right, ‘from the signings to the renewals’ at the club

‘I even joke with my son that I want to see if he’s really good at rugby. It’s a joke I make because he’s already won everything in football.’ 

Recently, Gary Neville hinted that Guardiola’s relative success in the Premier League will always be overshadowed by the 115 charges for City.

‘What Pep [Guardiola] has done, in not even a short period of time, you can’t deny that if someone put Pep top [manager in Premier League history], I wouldn’t say you’re out of order, I’d just say Sir Alex [Ferguson].

‘If someone said Pep Guardiola was top, I wouldn’t say your wrong. I’m likely to go with Sir Alex [Ferguson] anyways aren’t I, and I certainly don’t want to mention the 115 charges [against Manchester City] but until that’s cleared, I think we do have to have a little bit of a “but” until that’s cleared’.