The Gunners are staring down the barrel of another trophy-less season unless they quickly get their act together, starting with the North London Derby
The last seven days ought to have been the defining week of Arsenal’s season. And, in a way, they were. The Gunners were beaten 2-0 at home by Newcastle in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, before 10-man Manchester United rocked up at the Emirates Stadium and dumped the hosts out of the FA Cup on penalties.
Mikel Arteta’s men are in a tailspin and in desperate need of reversing their trajectory. Just a month ago, they looked primed to take advantage of Manchester City’s off-year and had strong hopes of going far in all four competitions. Good value they were at that too, even with captain and talisman Martin Odegaard missing an extended period to open the campaign.
But now, Arsenal are being torn apart at the seam. The injuries are piling up, the performances are in-turn declining and the mood in N5 has particularly soured. With arch rivals Tottenham next to visit the Emirates on Wednesday, Arteta needs to find a cure to his team’s ailment rather than wallow in pity.
The siege mentality that the Spaniard has built is threatening to turn into arrogance as Arsenal can no longer be viewed as the plucky underdog in their fight for major honours. When things don’t go their way, it cannot possibly be a matter for self-improvement; it isn’t helping their cause.