EPL runner-up Champions semi-finals, why am I sad? Arsenal, who are hungry for Son Heung-min's victory, even humiliated themselves for the first time in 97 years

May 26, 2025

EPL runner-up Champions semi-finals, why am I sad? Arsenal, who are hungry for Son Heung-min's victory, even humiliated themselves for the first time in 97 years
ReutersYonhap News



EPL runner-up Champions semi-finals, why am I sad? Arsenal, who are hungry for Son Heung-min's victory, even humiliated themselves for the first time in 97 years
AFP Yonhap News
The runner-up in the English Premier League (EPL), which is considered the best league on earth, is a great achievement. However, Arsenal's season, which finished second in the EPL in the 2024-2025 season, ended in sadness.

Arsenal won 2-1 with Martin Odegaard's winning goal in the 45th minute of the second half in the final away match of the 38th round of the EPL against Southampton at St. Mary's Stadium in Southampton, England on the 26th (Korea time).

Arsenal finished second to Liverpool (84 points), who won their 20th league title, with 74 points from 38 games. He also qualified for the European Champions League (UCL) next season with Manchester City (71 points), Chelsea (69 points), and Newcastle (66 points).




Arsenal's season is considered quite a success, considering sixth-placed Aston Villa (66 points), who missed the UCL ticket with the referee's '100 million misjudgment against Manchester United. Manchester United, which competed with Arsenal in the 2000s, finished 15th and Arsenal's rival Tottenham finished 17th.

EPL runner-up Champions semi-finals, why am I sad? Arsenal, who are hungry for Son Heung-min's victory, even humiliated themselves for the first time in 97 years
ReutersYonhap News
However, on the 22nd, ahead of the final match, Arsenal's irrelevance was highlighted as Tottenham won the Europa League (UEL) final with a score of 1-0 against Manchester United. Tottenham broke the record for the first time in 17 years since winning the 2008 League Cup. It is the first time in 41 years that the European club has won a competition since 1984. Arsenal finished the season empty-handed, eliminating in the third round of the FA Cup and the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup and Champions League.

Arsenal also posted the disgrace of having not produced a double-digit score in nearly 100 years. Kai Havertz, a long-term injury, scored the most points in the team with nine goals. Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossar scored eight goals each, midfielder Mikel Merino, who turned striker, scored seven goals and Bukayo Saka scored six.




It is the first season in 97 years in Arsenal's history that has failed to produce double-digit scorers in the league since the 1927-1928 season. As of this season, only five teams, including Arsenal, Manchester United, Leicester City, Everton and Southampton, had the highest number of scorers in single digits. Brennan Johnson scored more than 10 goals (11 goals) for Tottenham in the Europa League. Son Heung-min scored only seven goals, the lowest in nine years since 2016 due to the team's sluggishness and injury.

Arsenal scored only 69 goals this season, 22 goals short of 91 goals in the 2023-2024 season. He was 17 goals ahead of Liverpool (86 goals). It can be evaluated as a season in which he desperately felt the need to recruit a proven authentic striker. This is why he has been linked to Victor Jockeres (Sporting) and Benjamin Sesko (Leifich).

EPL runner-up Champions semi-finals, why am I sad? Arsenal, who are hungry for Son Heung-min's victory, even humiliated themselves for the first time in 97 years
ReutersYonhap News
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who led Arsenal to second place in the league for the last three consecutive seasons under the leadership of Arsenal in 2019, said "We now have to analyze what will happen last season, learn from him for sure and accept all the amazing positive things that the team has done in this situation. 'Okay, now we'll have enough time to think about how we can fill in that little bit that's missing to get to where we want to be.'"




Regarding the possibility of reinforcing strikers "A lot has to happen to recruit players. The team should be able to provide time for the player to play for a certain amount of time"Trust me. We will spare no effort to make this club even more successful.'



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.