Has Arsenal become too predictable?

Is the sky falling? Hardly.

Is Arsenal having another 2023 spring collapse? Let’s hope not..

Is it time to pack up the tents and head home? No, not yet.

There is no doubt Arsenal has hit a rough patch. With the Gunners earning only five points from their past five Premier League matches, this is not what we have grown to expect from an Arsenal team that has seen so much success over the past season and a half.

So, what’s going on?

For starters, we can’t score enough goals. AGAIN, Arsenal needs a big, powerful striker who can find the back of the net – and consistently!

Second, why are the Gunners giving away so many goals off corner kicks? This is becoming a very bad habit.

Third, we are beginning to see a lot of clubs sitting back in defense just waiting to counter-attack. And boy, have we become vulnerable in that regard, too.

And finally, the midfield is currently lacking creativity. There are too many lazy passes, intercepted passes or just bad passes altogether.

To sum it up, it looks like the club’s competition has figured out how to stop Arsenal from being successful.

Players, such as Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are holding the ball too long trying to make fancy moves to the get into the penalty box. They are consistently being double-teamed with no where to go.

Plus, the rest of the club finds it easier to pass the ball backwards without taking a peak at what might be available in frot of them.

If the team can get back to those quick, timely passes that make defenses spin on their feet, then goals will come a lot more than they are now.

Yes, the Gunners have become predictable, not only with the starting XI, but also with how the substitutes are used. Yes, Arsenal is predictable.

Now, don’t get me wrong. The team is playing with a lot of heart, but I believe the tactics are beginning to fail them.

Mike Arteta is a terrific manager, but now is the time for him and his staff to get to the chalkboard out and work on new approaches that can be added to the game plan.

It’s like American football. No team runs the same offensive play back-to-back-to-back. There are always new wrinkles, new plays and new tactics to throw off the oppostion.

I still have a lot of faith in this group, and hopefully, some new blood coming ito the group in January might not be a bad thing.

How about a big, powerful striker? Spend the cash, or it might be a long winter and spring for all of us.

Cheers.

Gunner1953