It has not been the positive start Mikel Arteta had hoped for to begin the 2021/2022 season. Injuries to Gabriel and Partey, as well as COVID issues with Aubameyang, Lacazette, Willian, and Nelson have not helped either. Even newcomer Ben White was forced out of today’s line-up, and possibly next Sunday’s too, due to illness. Indeed, it has been one thing after another.
However, football is a team game, and to succeed in this game, and especially at this level, manager’s need to have the depth required to field a competitive squad. But, to put it mildly, the Gunners’ first two performances have been well below par. Back-to-back 0-2 defeats to two clubs at the opposite end of the football world spectrum have been hard to watch.
Mikel Arteta told Arsenal.com after the match, “It’s really challenging at the moment. We are missing nine players – and the majority of them are big senior players. It’s what we have. We put out there a team that will probably be unprecedented in the history of this football club. But credit to the boys, how they are trying, the passion they are trying to bring to the team. They are playing with a lot of courage in this situation, which is tough. They are trying their best, and at the moment it’s not enough to win football matches.”
I my humble opinion, Arteta got the tactics wrong today, and was too slow to correct one glaring issue. when Chelsea was on the attack, the space to the left of Leno’s goal looked like the Grand Canyon. Reece James was free to run freely in this huge space, and once he had the ball at his feet, the goalkeeper was his only obstacle. Boom, 2-0. Chelsea worked and worked this area in front of Mari, and behind Tierney, for most of the match. It seems Arteta spends so much time micro-managing his players on the pitch, I don’t think he’s able to see the big picture, which includes what’s happening in the game away from the ball. The best managers not only select their best line-ups, they also make sure those eleven players know where to be and how to make necessary adjustments as the game progresses. I believe this is something Arsenal is strongly lacking at the moment.
The pundits and ex-players were also chiming in after today’s match…
TV pundit Roy Keane, “The younger boys need a helping hand from these senior players, they need to stand up and be counted and prove what playing for a club like Arsenal should mean to them.”
Former Gunner Bacary Sagna, “How can you spend $204-million (USD) and only bring in young players? It might be good for the future, but someone has got to think about the present. When I was playing, anyone would be excited to join Arsenal. Now, we have lost our DNA.”
John Cross of The Mirror, “Arsenal look so weak, fans restless, they are struggling already.”
TV host and Arsenal supporter Piers Morgan, #ArtetaOut
Wednesday is West Brom Albion in the Carabao Cup, and then next Saturday Arsenal travels to Manchester City.
Could our club have zero points after three league matches to begin this season? Even with a completely fit squad, I ‘m afraid it would a daunting task even to come away from the Etihad with a draw. So, to be honest, with the current physical, emotional and mental state of this team, with no bonafide starting XI yet to materialize, and with a manager reeling from the pressure, I’m afraid Pepe will destroy his protege next weekend in Manchester.
No cheers today.
Gunner1953
The Gunners defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 on Wednesday to win both matches in this season’s North London Derby. With the win Arsenal moves back into 2nd place on the Premier League table.
According to The Mail, Arsenal, is in advanced talks to sign Real Sociedad Martin Zubimendi at the end of this season for a reported $61.2-million (USD).
Takehiro Tomiyasu has returned to full training with the first team after recovering from a knee injury. 
Martin Odegaard, “We need to be sharper in the key moments to make sure we get the results we’ve worked for. We have to keep going and keep improving. There is no choice for us now.”
