Arsenal's title challenge fizzled, but Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui maintains that it is unjust to call them bottlers.
The Gunners, who led the table for the duration of the season, will finish second behind Manchester City.
They had an eight-point advantage in March, but important victories over Liverpool, West Ham, and Southampton were lost in the closing stages, and they lost 4-1 at City in April.
In spite of Arsenal's losses to Brighton and Nottingham Forest, City won the Premier League for the third time in a row. However, Lopetegui believes the Gunners should not be criticized for finishing second, especially before Wolves go to the Emirates on Sunday for the league's grand finale.
Naturally, they don't. It's a fantastic league, and in one of the last games, they fell short to Manchester City," he remarked.
You simply need to look at the teams that finished below them to see what tremendous job they did.
"Therefore, I commend Mikel (Arteta) for his outstanding job. I recall that he had significant issues when he first arrived, but they demonstrated faith and belief in him, and now they are reaping the benefits.
He altered a lot of players, enhanced the team, added talent to the field, and created excellent responses.
"They now have a truly amazing assignment in front of them.
"Mikel did amazing work, and that is his credit. The sporting director's accomplishments are also highlighted because they would not have been possible without the club's faith in him.
"It's incredibly challenging in football to have a long-term or intermediate perspective.
"It's typically only temporary. I believe they are benefiting from that conviction, and I'm delighted for them because teams that work hard and with patience in the future deserve to succeed.
After leading Wolves to mid-table safety, Lopetegui is still in discussions with the club over his future. Due to financial fair play's limitations on the club's ability to spend, he is seeking clarification on the amount of support he will receive in the summer.
While many players, notably Ruben Neves, the out-of-contract Joao Moutinho, and Adama Traore, are expected to leave, Lopetegui said Raul Jimenez still has a future with Wolves.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0