When Arsene Wenger left Arsenal at the end of last season it was an end of an era; An era which lasted 22 years and included Three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups. In recent times they struggled to be competitive in the Premier League and have missed out on the Champions League the last two seasons. This after qualifying for the competition 20 years in a row! Unai Emery arrived at Arsenal to replace Wenger and begin a new era.
The Squad was strengthened in the Summer with incomings which included Goalkeeper Bernd Leno, Midfielder Lucas Torreira and Defender Sokratis. Opening games against Champions City and Chelsea in the opening weeks were tricky and led to defeats; But then Arsenal went on a 22 game unbeaten run in all competitions before losing to Southampton. After watching Arsenal in a few games this season, the most alarming thing for me is their defence; Going forward Arsenal have no issues, they have creative attacking players but defensively they look like conceding at any time. Arsenal has only kept 4 clean sheets in the League this season; Not many teams have a worse record!
No Urgency, No Tempo and No Leaders
Emery has made Arsenal more clinical in attack, playing a system which allows both Lacazette and Aubameyang to start; Something that didn’t happen much under Wenger. I was lucky enough to be at the London Stadium last weekend for the game between West Ham and Arsenal. A London derby, A West Ham team who have found some form and an exciting Arsenal side. It was a game which should have been lively, an exciting game but in fact, it was pretty uneventful; There was a lack of quality and lack of tempo and a draw would of probably been the fair result. The only glimpse of quality was the goal itself; Former Arsenal man Nasri cut the ball back to Declan Rice who found the top corner to score.
With the Gunners chasing the game for most of the second half, it was expected the goal may spark them into life but it didn’t. I was amazed to see Arsenal play at the same tempo the whole match with no real urgency; It was evident there no real leader on the pitch. At one point when the ball went out for a throw in and the Hammers made a substitution, all the Arsenal players had hand on hips watching the ball ready for the throw in. Arsenal were poor, as poor as I’ve seen them play for some time. 1-0 to West Ham – Final Score.
No Money in the Kitty
This weekend they hosted Chelsea. Both teams have their own issues so anything could have happened. However, it was surprising to see Arsenal win 2-0 and keep a clean sheet. It just highlights the inconsistencies Arsenal have and that one week they can be very bad and one week be good! The Fans will hope Arsenal can find some consistency to help finish in the Top 4; Otherwise, they will be resigned to a 3rd straight season in the Europa League. On the basis of how they have performed so far this season, it is evident that Unai Emery doesn’t have the strength and depth in the squad. Strength and depth that was once afforded to the previous regime. It is evident that the squad needs improving so I found it quite alarming for Emery to come out and say that there is no money for transfers this month.
For a club like Arsenal to be resigned to just loan signings when investment is needed is quite ludicrous really; It is understood it is because the transfer budget has already been spent and there will be no additional funds. Arsenal fans will have every right to be angry, they pay £1000+ for a season ticket, the highest in the league. Also with the TV money in the Premier League these days you would expect some sort of funds to improve the squad.
On the evidence of performances this season, It looks to be another frustrating season for Arsenal with a Top 4 finish going down to the wire. There are causes for concern for everyone involved but with a fully fit squad and some consistency; They could well be playing in the Champions League next season.
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