Sunday’s shock 3-2 home loss to Manchester United saw Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table cut to just four points and the nerves of the collective fanbase shredded even further.
It’s now three Premier League games without a win for the leaders and despite scoring twice at the Emirates, the Gunners neither played or attacked well over the 90 minutes.
In this article we’ll cover
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Two goals but next to chances created
Their goals came via an unfortunate own goal from Lisandro Martinez and, unsurprisingly, from a corner, which Gary Neville compared to a rugby scrum at one point.
They had next to no chances from open play and, apart from set-pieces, looked bereft of ideas.
Mikel Arteta’s quadruple change just before the hour changed little but it said plenty about the performances of Gabriel Jesus and the two Martins in midfield: Zubimendi and Odegaard.
The Brazilian striker got the nod over Viktor Gyokeres after his double against Inter but was easily marshalled by Martinez and the outstanding Harry Maguire.
As for Zubimendi, his biggest contribution was providing an assist at the wrong end to Bryan Mbeumo, while Odegaard was a total non-factor. Being hooked as captain while trailing 2-1 in a huge game is a damning indictment of the Norwegian.
Forwards all out of form
Some of that of course is on him but Arteta needs to take accountability especially when you consider how out of form all of his forwards are.
Their joint-top scorers in the league this season are Gyokeres and Leandro Trossard with just five apiece. Two of the Swede’s came from the spot and he hasn’t scored a non-penalty goal in his last 11.
Trossard came off with 15 minutes left for Noni Madueke, a winger even more unlikely to score. It’s now 25 games and a year since his last strike in the league, and he’s yet to provide a league assist for the Gunners.
It gets worse with Bukayo Saka without a goal in his last 13 across all competitions and Gabriel Martinelli failing to score in the league since his last-gasp equaliser against Manchester City.
That was in September and we’re now heading towards February and while the Gunners are still on course for the title, they also could be the first champions in English top-flight history to not have a player in double digits.
There is also a chance “own goals” is their top scorer with four being scored this season so far. That’s the same number as Mikel Merino, who did at least score to level the game prior to Matheus Cunha’s stunning winner.
Might he be worth trying up front again? Or will Arteta wait to bring back in Kai Havertz once he is fully up to speed following the guts of a year out with hamstring and knee injuries? What about Eberechi Eze replacing Odegaard at the tip of the midfield three.
Will the end justify the means?
Something will have to change. Of Arsenal’s last five league wins, just the rout of Aston Villa has come by more than one goal, while their defence is nowhere near as solid as it was in the earlier months of the season.
After conceding just three in their opening 10 league games, there was serious shouts that the Gunners could equal or better Chelsea’s much-vaunted 2004/05 season.
The three from United definitively ended any chance of that and means the Gunners have now let in 14 in their last 13 outings.
The returns of Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie should be a solution and the real focus is elsewhere.
Arteta’s Machiavellian football is all substance and no style, but the ends only justify the means if trophies are won. Arsenal still have an excellent chance at winning multiple this season but they must go and claim them.
A continuation of the risk-averse approach will only lead to more pressure and nervousness among an already antsy fanbase longing for a first title since 2004.