What has gone wrong at Arsenal? The revival under Mikel Arteta looked strong when the Gunners started 2020 without a league defeat, but Project Restart has come in as a reality check.
Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong in their last two games. Nobody expected them to get something against Manchester City but the defeat against Brighton raised many questions about the squad.
Individual mistakes and lapses in concentration led to Arsenal conceding all five goals in their last two games but there is a bigger issue that has contributed to the Gunners’ downfall.
Arsenal started both games fairly well but things fell apart as the games went on. So, what really is the problem? Are Arsenal’s central defenders the only ones to blame or is Mikel Arteta’s tactics not quite right?
A lot can be said about both of those issues but there is one common denominator in their last two defeats – Granit Xhaka’s absence.
Arteta’s first big call as Arsenal’s boss when he took over was convincing Xhaka to stay at the club. The Spaniard had a clear idea about how he would use the midfielder and the positives were evident at the start of this year.
Xhaka is Arsenal’s most important player
Xhaka is an integral part of Arsenal’s transition from defence to attack. His ability to ping long diagonals is a boon for Arsenal’s quick attackers while his short passing between the lines isn’t too bad either.
In his absence, Dani Ceballos has been given the same responsibility. However, as good as the Real Madrid man is on the ball, his ability to act as a link between the defence and attack is far inferior to the former Arsenal skipper.
Arsenal midfield in the last two games have been underwhelming to say the least. A lot of the passes have been sideways while most of the attempted ones forward have ended up at the opposition’s feet.
Playing Bukayo Saka in central midfield was a brave move by Arteta and it almost came off. However, he is too young to be relied upon in such an important area, especially when Arsenal don’t have the players to cover his position when he goes on his adventurous forward runs.
Had Mesut Ozil been ready to play, he would have helped Arsenal’s midfield tick, especially in the final third. However, his absence has made the Gunners’ side a lot less fluid.
Xhaka was Arteta’s man to get the ball from the defenders to the attackers but his injury has ruined Arsenal’s system in their games against Brighton and Manchester City.
Yes, Xhaka can be a liability without the ball. He has the tendency concede possession in dangerous areas but he is still Arsenal’s best midfielder and without him, the Gunners’ attacking threat diminishes considerably.
The Swiss international is expected to miss the majority of the campaign, if not all of it. Arteta has to tweak his system to suit the likes of Ceballos and Matteo Guendouzi but his side will not be as good as he wants until Xhaka is back in action.
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