Should Arsenal fans be worried?
It’s been almost two years since Mikel Arteta took over as the head coach of Arsenal. And yet the current team in Red and White lack a proper identity.
When Arteta won his first silverware as a coach, many believed that he had a master plan ready. That he was the “next big thing.”
But it didn’t take long for the believers to be converted into doubters, after the Gunners went on a torrid run before Christmas.
Many Arsenal supporters still doubt Arteta’s ability to guide the club back to “where they belong.” But majority of performances under him have shown that they are already there: mid-table.
Last season, apart from a handfulof wins that fans would consider “impressive,” the former Manchester City assistant’s team looked perplexed and short of ideas.
This season, despite being Europe’s biggest spenders, Arsenal continue to look insipid. The team has changed. The atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium has changed.
But one thing that remains the same is the manager. We are eight games into the Premier League season and the North London side has only one impressive win to show for.
That obviously came against their arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur. But the win against Sp*rs wasn’t representative of Arteta’s Arsenal.
The draw against Crystal Palace and uninspiring performances against Brentford, Brighton, Chelsea and Man City was.
We don’t look like a team that’s ever going to click in the final third under Arteta. The fans who have supported the Spaniard argue that the defense has been largely good under his command.
But only seven teams in the Premier League have conceded more. On the other hand, 14 teams have scored more goals than Arsenal. Fourteen!
Although the players not giving up a fight and scoring a late equalizer was commendable, the overall picture looks worrying under Arteta.
It’s been almost two years since Arteta took over, and if he can’t find the answers sooner, nobody can argue that he didn’t have the answers to begin with.
More must-reads: