Context matters. Expectations changes as the season progresses. It's like Manchester United bottling top 4 from here. We can't say many did not expect us to be in top 4 at the start of the season.
Arsenal should be both happy with the challenge but should also be disappointed that they dropped silly points in April.
Of course context matters, however by the same token you need to also take into account why Arsenal weren't even fancied for top 4 in the first place.
1. People didn't think the team itself was anything special
2. The team was the youngest in the league, with 1 of the youngest inexperienced managers.
3. The squad was seen to lack depth, so any injuries to key players would take their toll.
4. City themselves are high quality, high experience, have run the course multiple times before, with a coach regarded as the best in the world who has won multiple titles in multiple leagues.
So most of these things still ring true, and are what Arsenal were battling against. So i totally agree, with the position Arsenal were in, of course it's disappointing not seeing it through. And i agree with you, they should be happy with the challenge but still have regret over those dropped points. But that's not what a lot of people are coming on the various threads to say now, is it?
Of course we do. We're on an internet forum and taking the piss out of rivals is always fine, notwithstanding anything we might be doing. This ridiculous notion we couldn't have fun with it just because we're not riding high has been done to death and it's rather tiresome.
Yep, fully accepted, but by the same token people shouldn't get all precious when Arsenal fans reply (within reason of course) & compare to Utd's situation, and hide behind "Why always bring Utd (or Chelsea, or whoever they support) into it, its nothing to with them" etc etc. Like you say, that's part of it, so when piss gets taken these fans should
expect a bit back. If someone calls me a fat fecker but they are 3 stone heavier are we meant to ignore that fact?!
They also did it at the expense of everything else, with some horrendous cup performances to boot.
One could argue you were on the verge of a title challenge and lost it at the expense of going further in the cups!