04 February 2023 , 17:16
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Piers Morgan tore into Arsenal after a "dismal" performance at Everton dealt a hammer blow to their hopes of winning a first Premier League title in 19 years.
The Gunners slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon, meaning Manchester City can close the gap at the top of the table to two points - having played one more game - if they beat Tottenham on Sunday. The league-leaders looked a shadow of the team that won 16 of their first 19 matches this season, struggling to turn their dominance of possession into clear-cut chances against Everton.
Morgan did not hold back in his assessment of the display on Merseyside, declaring that Mikel Arteta's men were "bullied" and casting serious doubts over their ability to bring the Premier League trophy back to Emirates Stadium.
"Dismal Arsenal performance today - we've been bullied around by one of the worst teams in the Premier League. Inexplicable," he wrote on Twitter, later adding: "Not going to win the League playing like that."
Morgan's withering verdict on the team he supports comes just over half a month after he apologised to Arteta for his repeated barbs in the Spaniard's direction throughout much of his tenure. The presenter was a vocal critic of the former midfielder and routinely claimed he was not up to the job following his appointment in December 2019.
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Although Arsenal were as low as 15th in the league table in December 2020, club chiefs chose to stick by Arteta and he - alongside sporting director Edu - has overseen a gradual rise up the table. The Gunners have recruited wisely while cutting dead weight from the squad to establish themselves as favourites to win the title - and draw an apology from Morgan.
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Sean Dyche led Everton to victory over Arsenal in his first game in charge (Getty Images)"It's mea culpa time, and I'm talking a Grand Canyon-sized one," Morgan told The Sun ahead of the clash with Tottenham in January, which Arsenal won 2-0. "First, I was completely wrong about Arteta. More pleasingly, I was also completely wrong about Spurs and Conte. And as we head into another North London derby this Sunday, I'm happy to admit I've never been happier to make a predictive a*** of myself."
While Morgan was magnanimous in confessing he "was completely wrong about Arteta", he could not help but vent his frustration about the performance he witnessed against Everton. Arsenal's defeat led to City being reinstated as the front runners to win the league, although Tottenham will be no push-overs on Sunday evening.
Spurs are chasing a top-four finish and are spearheaded by an in-form Harry Kane who is sure to cause Pep Guardiola's side problems. For the sake of Arsenal's title charge, Morgan and the Emirates faithful will be hoping their local rivals do them a favour on Sunday.