In truth, Arsenal’s win against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League did very little to remedy the ill-feeling from the loss against Bournemouth a few days prior.
Arsenal got the job done against Shakhtar Donetsk, but it was a no-thrills performance at the Emirates Stadium, one that Mikel Arteta may have been frustrated with in parts.
Gabriel Martinelli was excellent, as was Thomas Partey in the middle, but otherwise there was very little to get excited about.
It’s been a sombre seven or so days for Arsenal fans, who are partly discouraged because of all of the harsh red card decisions against the club of late.
That being said, both the Arsenal players and fans will need to rally for Liverpool’s visit on Sunday, who are comfortably top of the Premier League right now.
Ian Wright thinks Raheem Sterling has had slow start at Arsenal
Arsenal have a worrying injury list ahead of the game, something Arne Slot will look to exploit.
Fortunately, Bukayo Saka might be fit for Arsenal, a player who was sorely missed in the last two games mentioned.
And when speaking on the ‘Stick to Football’ podcast, Ian Wright mentioned Raheem Sterling’s struggles far in an Arsenal shirt, the player who was tasked with replacing Saka.
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Wright spoke specifically about the Bournemouth defeat, mentioning how Sterling doesn’t have the same chemistry with Ben White as Saka does.
And the pundit also complimented Arsenal fan Antonine Semenyo, who’s been very vocal about his love for the Gunners.
Wright said: “We couldn’t deal with Semenyo in that particular game.
“It was Raheem Sterling and Ben White, they haven’t got the same chemistry as Ben White and Saka. I think what we saw in that game how much he (Arteta) missed someone like Saka.
“Semenyo was too much for us physically and skillfully. We couldn’t deal with him.
“Raheem, it’s still not quick clicking for Raheem, but I thought it was going to be a tough game. I didn’t expect us to lose the game, but then when you look at the two mistakes what we made, you should get punished for those.”
Antoine Semenyo should be on Arsenal’s radar
Of course, it seems a strong possibility that Arsenal may look elsewhere in the summer rather than committing big funds to sign Sterling, who cost Chelsea £50m and will be 30-years-old at the time.
It also seems unlikely that Reiss Nelson will have a long-term Arsenal future and therefore Edu will need to recruit.
And given Wright’s praise, perhaps Arsenal should be looking at someone like Semenyo who is thriving in the Premier League right now.
The 24-year-old has been a slow-burner at Bournemouth but is really benefiting from Andoni Iraola’s coaching, as are a lot of the players at the Vitality Stadium.
Perhaps he’s not the first name on Arsenal’s wishlist, but he is certainly equipped to win Premier League matches.
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