COMMENT: Arsenal fall where they deserve to be

It is said that the pitcher goes so often to the well that it is broken at last. So far this season, Arsenal have been like a piece of porcelain that holds up and works, but is so fragile that when one part breaks off, the whole team is affected. Mikel Arteta’s charges’ poor performances only caught up with them relatively late, at the end of 2023.

“With Declan Rice we are better than last year, plus the young team is already a year more experienced,” was the main argument of Gunners fans why they lead the league until Boxing Day. And one can agree with both parts of the quote in a sense, if one takes into account the typical British “but”.

While Rice has solidified the midfield and is perhaps Arsenal’s best player, on the other hand Granit Xhaka is clearly missing from the team. If only because of how well he complemented Oleksandr Zinchenko. The Swiss has been particularly missed in big games where he has been helping out the defensively weaker Ukraine.

The absence of a winger in the shadow of a striker

The talents of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli may be a year older, but that still means 22 years old in both cases. And whether they are both among the league’s best players in their respective positions, Arsenal cannot stand round after round on two 20-year-olds.

Arsenal fans are literally begging to buy Ivan Toney and Arsenal really need a killer. However, a team of the Gunners’ calibre equally needs a fourth quality winger. Reiss Nelson is clearly not trusted by Mikel Arteta, but thus he has to hunt in the winter.

And very specifically. Buy not a talent, but a ready-made player in the ideal age bracket like Jarrod Bowen or Eberechi Eze. Preferably one with Premier League experience, although the factors mentioned suggest it won’t be a cheap investment.

The Gunners’ more dominant wins and play last year

Fresh power to the offensive line has been on offer since the start of the season. The Gunners did win, but in ugly or earned fashion. Triumphs over Luton, Manchester United and Brentford were secured by late goals, and in neither game were Arsenal significantly better.

While last year Arsenal had ten wins by a goal difference of two or more after 20 rounds of the league, this year they have only managed five wins in the same stretch. While Rice is doing a great job in the middle, even the tentacles of an octopus named Thomas Partey are missing at times. Primarily anyway, this stat points to holes in the defense.

Source: Premier League