LONDON -- If 2023 was the year in which Arsenal proved unable to last the pace as frontrunners then their New Year's resolution must be to thrive in the role of chasers.
A 2-1 defeat at Fulham on the final day of the calendar year extends a poor run of form to just one win in five Premier League games, dropping from first to fourth place in a faltering finale reminiscent of last season's title run-in.
Manchester City are course-and-distance serial winners and so it felt vital to Arsenal's chances of a first title since 2004 that they built up another substantial lead this time around, something City's own stuttering form and engagement at the FIFA Club World Cup gave their rivals the chance to do.