'Arsenal will never forgive themselves if they don't win title now'
“阿森纳若此刻未能问鼎冠军,将永远无法原谅自己”
Arsenal may have left Nottingham Forest on Saturday night regretting a missed opportunity. The reality is they will actually never have a better chance of ending a Premier League title drought stretching back to 'The Invincibles' of 2004.
Mikel Arteta's side have emerged from the weekend with an advantage stretched to seven points as the chasing pack aiming to put them under pressure stumbled badly.
Arsenal and Arteta will rightly urge caution, but the Gunners will never forgive themselves if they do not claim the crown that has proved so elusive, faced with the domination of Manchester City and the successes of Liverpool.
When every circumstance is examined, this feels like the 'now or never' season for Arteta's Arsenal.
If they fail to win the title this season from such a position, the regrets will run deep. Everything is in place for a triumphant surge towards the finishing tape.
Back-to-back goalless draws has left some questioning Arsenal's firepower but, with the tightest defence in the league and their rivals continually slipping up, it would take a brave person to back against them now.
Bigger leads have been lost at the top of the Premier League before - and later in the season - but none of the teams below them are showing signs of producing the consistency needed to challenge them.
Manchester City failed to turn up the pressure valve before Arsenal travelled to the City Ground by losing the derby at Manchester United - a fourth straight match without a win.
And then, here at Villa Park, Aston Villa saw their hopes of leap-frogging Pep Guardiola's side into second place undone as excellent Everton secured a fully deserved win.
As for reigning champions Liverpool, they have mounted a miserable defence of their crown, Saturday's disappointing draw against Burnley at Anfield that provoked jeers from their fans leaving them fourth, a distant 14 points behind Arsenal.
Villa had won their previous 11 games at home, but Everton threatened the decisive moments long before Thierno Barry cashed in on keeper Emi Martinez's decision to turn a routine stop into an item for his showreel with a classy finish.
Unai Emery has been keen to play down Villa's title aspirations, even though they have deservedly placed themselves right at the heart of the conversation. He can do so with more justification now as he said: "There are other teams with more potential than us.
"We lost a very good opportunity here, but we are having a fantastic season. We lost the opportunity to be second in the league, something very fantastic, but we must now recover.
"When you lose you are sad. When you win you are happy. We have been happy more times than sad this season."
Villa still look a good bet for a Champions League place, which would be deservedly celebrated, but there was no disguising Emery's disappointment, as well as that of the increasingly agitated home fans, at this setback.
It is little wonder Emery is believed to have his sights set on bringing striker Tammy Abraham, currently on loan at Besiktas from Roma, back to Villa Park.
Villa have sold Donyell Malen to Roma, the forward scoring on his debut, and their need for added firepower is reflected in the fact this was the seventh Premier League match in which they have failed to score this season, as many times as they drew a blank in the whole of the 2024-25 campaign.
So, for all Arsenal's frustration at not seeing off Nottingham Forest, they have come out of the weekend with their position strengthened.
Arsenal have cemented their position while those around them are not showing the consistency and quality of title contenders.
Manchester City were perceived as the biggest threat to Arsenal, but they have picked up only three points out of 12.
Arsenal have been the great pretenders to the Premier League title in recent years, finishing second in the past three seasons.
This is the chance they have yearned for. In control of their own destiny as those they will regard as rivals falter.
Arteta has an all-powerful squad, built on an air-tight defence with quality in all areas.
Arsenal may have been feeling they had left the door ajar with the draw at Forest. Not any more. It has now closed even further on those nursing title aspirations of their own.
The cards are falling in Arsenal's favour - what can possibly go wrong from here?
四六级核心单词解析
1. drought
含义:n. 干旱;(某种事物的)匮乏期,荒期
例句:Arsenal are eager to end their long Premier League title drought stretching back to 2004.
翻译:阿森纳渴望终结自 2004 年以来漫长的英超冠军荒。
2. elusive
含义:adj. 难以得到的;难以捉摸的;不易理解的
例句:The Premier League crown has proved elusive for Arsenal in the past three seasons.
翻译:过去三个赛季,英超冠军对阿森纳而言一直可望而不可即。
3. triumphant
含义:adj. 胜利的;成功的;欢欣鼓舞的
例句:Everything is in place for Arsenal's triumphant surge towards the Premier League title.
翻译:阿森纳向着英超冠军发起胜利冲刺的一切条件均已具备。
4. consistency
含义:n. 一致性;连贯性;稳定性
例句:None of Arsenal's rivals are showing the consistency needed to challenge them for the title.
翻译:阿森纳的竞争对手中,没有一支球队展现出足以冲击冠军的稳定性。
5. provoke
含义:v. 激起;引发;挑衅
例句:Liverpool's draw against Burnley provoked jeers from their fans at Anfield.
翻译:利物浦主场战平伯恩利的表现,引发了安菲尔德球迷的一片嘘声。
6. justification
含义:n. 正当理由;合理性;辩护
例句:After the defeat, Unai Emery has more justification to play down Villa's title aspirations.
翻译:输球后,乌奈・埃梅里有了更多理由淡化维拉的争冠目标。
7. agitated
含义:adj. 焦虑的;激动的;愤怒的
例句:The agitated home fans at Villa Park expressed their disappointment at the team's loss.
翻译:维拉公园球场的主场球迷因球队失利而显得十分焦躁,难掩失望之情。
8. cement
含义:v. 巩固;加强;粘合;n. 水泥
例句:Arsenal have cemented their top position in the Premier League with rivals stumbling.
翻译:随着竞争对手纷纷掉链,阿森纳进一步巩固了自己在英超的榜首位置。
9. perceived
含义:adj. 被认为的;被感知的;察觉到的
例句:Manchester City were perceived as the biggest threat to Arsenal's title bid this season.
翻译:曼城被认为是本赛季阿森纳争冠之路上的最大威胁。
10. yearn
含义:v. 渴望;向往;怀念
例句:This is the title chance that Arsenal have yearned for in recent years.
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