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This wasn’t how it was supposed to be for Mikel Arteta, was it?
Not after the FA Cup victory did he give hope of what Arsenal could achieve. Community Shield’s victory against Liverpool that fostered a sense of new purpose.
Suddenly, there was a belief. An identity again, the last long lost in a bygone era. Whispers from outside contenders for the top four.
Mikel Arteta (above) faces a key period in his career at Arsenal after back-to-back losses in the league.
The Gunners have been beaten by Manchester City and Leicester City in their last two games
Yet here we are, Arsenal head to Manchester United today with three defeats in their last four in the Premier League. 12th place. Worse first 26 league games than Unai Emery.
Maybe this time it’s just the product of a crazy season, where the only pattern is that there are none. Or maybe, there is more. If you look further, there are signs of concern.
Only Crystal Palace, Newcastle and West Brom with fewer shots per game (check after today). Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang five league games without a goal.
Only three other teams with a higher Defensive Passes Per Action figure, a number that shows how aggressively you push. The lower the number, the fewer passes you will allow your opponent before attempting to win it back. It is not what you would expect from a disciple of Pep Guardiola.
Arsenal do not pressure the teams as the goals have dried up for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (I)
From Arteta’s point of view, this is just one more bump on the long road to rebuilding a club that has not known what it is since its previous creator left, it went through several hands until now. A situation similar to the one facing the man on the opposing bench in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer today.
“ He had to prioritize the things we had to get right right away to give us the best possible chance to be competitive in every game and try to have a real fight against any opponent.
“I think we are doing it and now there are some final things that we have to improve to be more consistent with our results.
Arteta prepares his team for a crucial game against Manchester United this Sunday
But the way we compete in every game is unquestionable, even against the best teams. The match we lost the other day, in a few months we will win. ‘
That game in question was a 1-0 loss at home to Leicester, Arsenal’s first at home to the Foxes in 47 years. They fought to bring down a Leicester team that Arteta complained had put 11 men behind the ball, only for Jamie Vardy to come off the bench and take the win.
“Those games will be much better controlled and we will be more of a threat when we are attacking those situations. It takes a bit of time and you have to respect that time without exposing the players.
Jamie Vardy (above) scored the winning goal when Leicester won at Arsenal for the first time in 47 years
“It is a challenge and that is what we have to solve daily because we do not have a six-week preseason in which we can work on anything with all the players. We are simply dealing with situations as they arise, and we will improve because we need to improve in certain areas. ”
Arsenal are not the only team caught in madness. United has endured theirs. Beaten 6-1 by Tottenham, but have since beaten Paris Saint-Germain and filled Leipzig in the Champions League. Even Arteta has struggled to make sense of it all.
“I’ve been watching their games and they are really different games,” Arteta said. “ Where they won and lost, it’s the way he navigated the game and where the game was at certain times and how it ended, it’s confusing.
Arteta claims he has been ‘confused’ by Manchester United’s recent form and resurgence
“What I can say about them is that they have the ability to turn any game into a victory with the skill they have up front, with the options they have to change formations and the threat they have in attacking positions.”
Arteta believes this tumultuous season will settle down. In the minute Everton are title contenders and Aston Villa are in the top four.
Come the end, they will be the usual suspects and Arteta believes that Arsenal will be one of them.
Arteta believes her Arsenal team will find a way against it and will be a top four contender this season.
“I hope that everything starts to be more natural and more stable,” he said. ‘The start of the season depends a lot on your matches.
“Don’t forget also that we have already played Liverpool three times this season, we played Manchester City away from home and we had some tough games without any preparation.
“We will see where we are in May.”
