If ever there was a match that so perfectly illustrated the need to inject talent into this current Arsenal squad as this one, I haven’t seen it. Fresh off of a hard fought tactical battle with Chelsea mid-week, the Gunners traveled down to the South Coast to take on Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. It was Jack Wilshere’s first game back since his season long loan last year, and his former teammates and manager Eddie Howe welcomed him back with a surprisingly capable performance. That unsettled the visiting Gunners, who never seemed to figure out the best way through the Cherries defence, a second half Hector Bellerin goal was not enough to rescue points for Arsenal, who quickly conceded twice in 4 minutes and never recovered, going in to lose 2-1 in embarrassing fashion. After the match, the fan response was immense, rivaling some of the most shocking displays from last season’s worst moments.
Playing Down to Their Level
Arsenal have truly become an enigma this season. So long criticised for coming up small in big matches against top opponents while rolling over weaker teams like a proper “flat track bully”, this season has seen a reversal, if not in results, at least in how well the team plays. Against top 6 foes, Arsenal were only out played by Liverpool in their humiliating 4-0 defeat in the summer and by Manchester City, who happened to catch the Gunners with a defence decimated by injuries. In every other match (despite not getting the results) their effort cannot be questioned. However, it is a totally different story against the smaller clubs this season, with Arsenal dropping points in the most embarrassing of ways against teams that shouldn’t have had a chance.
It was more of the same on Sunday, with Arsenal first letting the Cherries into the match by not being clinical enough in front of goal, and then letting them escape the match with their first ever victory over Arsenal in their history. Bournemouth has struggled mightily this season after flirting with a mid-table position for the first part of last season, and the match should have been perfect for the Gunners to earn a confidence boosting win. All they earned instead was more rage from a fan base quickly losing patience with performances like the one on Sunday.
Stretched Thin
It is well documented that Arsenal have struggled this season against teams that pack their players behind the ball in a deep block. Whether it was Burnley, Everton or Stoke City, teams have been able to frustrate the Arsenal attack into making mistakes this season just by being patient and letting them pass around in non-threatening areas. However, there is beginning to be an obvious pattern, as demonstrated Sunday against Bournemouth, against Crystal Palace and against Nottingham Forest a week ago, that the Gunners are equally as susceptible to the press. It used to be that Arsenal were a team that terrified teams who tried to press them, with a midfield overflowing with players that could embarrass overly aggressive tacklers in the centre of the pitch, leading to quality scoring opportunities for Wenger’s men.
In recent weeks, teams seem to be more willing to take advantage of the shaky confidence in the Arsenal defence, the less mobile pivot of a Granit Xhaka and the poor spacing of the forwards while the Gunners build out from the back. Opponents are pressuring Arsenal into repeated mistakes at the back, leading to more easy scoring Gunners have been particularly vulnerable to being stretched wide on the flanks before the ball is crossed low in front of the net. The defence has struggled all season to pick up the late runners into the box in these situations, and Petr Cech has been a half step slow coming off of his line to quell the danger. It is time to go back to the drawing board again in the defence, because despite strong efforts from their young back line (currently without Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal), there are still way too many mistakes being made for a team with top 4 aspirations.
Gone Cold
No player at Arsenal right now seems to be playing to the best of their ability, but Alexandre Lacazette has fallen further off the pace than most. After scoring almost immediately in his first game at the Emirates Stadium, followed by an autumn where the Frenchman was scoring as often as any striker in the league, he might have been expected to be hitting his peak form at this point in the season. However, a lack of quality service from his teammates and the frustrating attention of some of the league’s most physical defenders has robbed him of his confidence. In the Carabao Cup match against Chelsea on Wednesday, he air mailed his best opportunity of the match, sending his one-timed shot flying into the Stamford Bridge stands. Against Bournemouth, Lacazette kept dropping deeper and deeper into the midfield, desperate to get on the ball and make something happen, but to no avail.
It has been reported by some sources around the club that Lacazette is still very much adjusting to the Premier League, despite his early successes. His substitutions have been explained as being a result of soreness and conditioning rather than any grand tactical scheme. He has been working intensely with the club’s training staff to improve his strength and fitness levels this season, and despite his goal numbers being down from the start of the campaign, he is noticeably more lively in the later stages of the match than he was at the beginning of the season. He is a talented player who has been a natural goalscorer at every level he has played, so while the club would desperately like to see an uptick in form from their record transfer signing, it is far from the time to get worried about whether or not he makes the grade.
Missing Magic and A Rusty Rambo
What started as a bit of a laugh for fans has now become a real concern after Mesut Ozil missed yet another match with a knee problem. There is no specific moment where he appeared to show the effects of a challenge before his injury occurred, and perhaps it was this uncertainty that led many to doubt whether or not he was injured. There seems little question now that it is a legitimate concern, and while it doesn’t seem to be a long term injury, the team are desperate for his creativity to return. Alex Iwobi may have gotten an assist in each of his last 2 starts, but his overall performances have been lacking in Ozil’s absence. It is a bit unfair to compare the young Nigerian to a world class number 10 at this point in his career, but Arsenal are in too much of a precarious situation in the league to be compensating for a weak link, especially when Danny Welbeck is not much of a creative influence himself in the opposite flank.
Fans were excited to see Aaron Ramsey make a brief appearance off the bench in his return from injury, but the moment was quickly soured when, less than 30 seconds later, Bournemouth took the lead, gashing the newly re-shuffled back 4 for an easy goal. Jack Wilshere was able to return from his twisted ankle on Wednesday to feature against Bournemouth with no ill effects. Ramsey on the other hand, as a player so reliant on confidence and consistent playing time for his best form, showed the signs of rust that might be expected from a player missing from the lineup for several weeks. Wilshere was an able deputy for the Welshman in his absence, but Arsenal need an in form Ramsey to come back in the team and inject more energy into the midfield. He is a marginally better defender than Wilshere, and his size and strength allow him to get vertical when Arsenal have the ball, adding another dimension to the attack that has been lacking since the holiday season.
The Dark Cloud
Footballers are professionals, but they are also human, and the Alexis Sanchez saga appears as if it is weighing on heavily on the club. Without him on the pitch, the team seems unsure of itself in attack, with few players having the confidence at present to will themselves to a goal. Aside from Jack Wilshere and Mesut Ozil when he returns, Arsenal don’t have anyone who is decisive enough on the ball to run at defenders and create chances out of nothing. Against the low blocks that Arsenal have seen this year in the final third, they are forced to try and patiently pass their way through the defence. Even when Sanchez has played, his frustration has been evident in the way he forces passes that more often than not result in turnovers, or else tries to take on the whole defence himself for the heroic goal. His presence might make the Arsenal attack more threatening than when Danny Welbeck is giving his best imitation of a winger, but the efforts are often disjointed and the defence is even worse as a result of Sanchez’ sharp decline in work rate this season.
It appears, at least, that Alexis will finally be departing after more than 12 months of endless speculation, but following the loss to Bournemouth, it could not have come at a worse time for an angry fan base. The team’s recent shaky form has darkened the mood around the Emirates, and many supporters have very little confidence in Arsene Wenger and his staff to adequately replace the Chilean should he leave. The most recent reports are suggesting that he is likely off to Manchester United, only furthering the ire of those that remember the effect that Robin van Persie’s transfer to the Red Devils had on the fortunes of both clubs. Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bordeaux’s Malcom appear to be nearing moves to the Gunners should Sanchez make his move, with Theo Walcott and Mathieu Debuchy expected to depart as well. Whatever happens this January, it needs to happen fast. The current product on the pitch is fast looking stale, and an injection of fresh talent may be just what this team needs to keep their season’s aspirations alive.
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