Each Arsenal game is a new battle and almost every enemy ends up melting their cannons to raise a monument in the form of victory. If more than a decade ago, they boasted of unbeaten, this 2020-21, Arsenal is more similar to the Invincible Armada, which was born with great objectives (to dethrone Elizabeth I) and better memories of victories but ended up crashed due to weather conditions relatively close to the Emirates.
The Arsenal is now a ship almost adrift. In their last game, the Gunners experienced another unfortunate night drawing 1-1 against Southampton. More than the result, it was the feeling of incapacity, where mistake after mistake condemned his chances of victory. Gabriel's expulsion was symptomatic. A pure failure of concentration. One of some. IJust like the one who caught the defense out of place when Theo Walcott flew for a ball into the hole that he defined with a precious Vaseline on Leno to make it 1-0.
“The attitude is bad, discipline is lacking and we don't have confidence in ourselves. They take us red, we make mistakes, we are out of position … These are things that we have spoken thousands of times, but in the end, there is a lack of concentration of the players, “he said.Bernd Leno at the end of the meeting as a doctor who diagnoses, but is not able to find a cure.
This lack of confidence translates into the absence of luck for the champion and misfortune being his traveling companion. First, an ex-gunner like Walcott scoring and celebrating at the Emirates, then an expulsion and finally a Holding header that crashes into the wood. That luck is no longer the wick of the red cannon.
In the media, the name Mikel Arteta no longer sounds as good as months ago. The Basque raised metal after a long time in London at the end of last season winning the FA Cup and at the beginning of it with the Community Shield, but the situation is dire. He asks for time, even Pep, his old boss, does it from Manchester. “The coach is not a problem. Nobody criticizes him. We criticize ourselves and we know that we are responsible, “transmits Leno from the locker room.
In this context, with a changing room with an important history of cases (Xhaka, captaincy of Aubameyang …) and several open folders (Özil), everything is complicated and after this last stumble, the focus of the war has completely changed.
Arsenal are nine points from the top-5, fourteen from the leader and only five from relegation after thirteen games in which they add more defeats than draws or victories and a poor -5 in the scoring balance (11 in favor, 16 against) only worsened by Brighton, Fulham, Burnley, West Brom and Sheffield. Soccer and its paths are impregnable but these records invite a change of focus. In North London, where the last victory celebrated dates from November 1 (0-1 against United), they forget about European tickets and it is already possible to think about a stay without complications.
Designated players
The list of designated in the Arsenal is long. In a brief review, David Luiz will leave, Özil for extra-sporting issues and the last to join, Gabriel, for his expulsion against Southampton. Another of the regulars is Pépé, who is not there but is expected.
From the media, they demand a step forward like Kevin Campbell this Wednesday. “Where was Pepe? We haven't seen him. These talented players, great players that we don't see … I don't question Arteta, I question the players,” he says. Positively, he was only able to save one, Bukayo Saka. “Many important players for Arteta are failing and he has to juggle with his team. He cannot trust anyone except a young boy,” he says. That young kid was precisely the one who left Aubamayeng alone to make it 1-1. Like a avenue of hope to cling to so that the cannons resound in London.