Mark Lawrenson has claimed that Arsenal ‘haven’t really changed’ from their Arsene Wenger days, as he told Off the Ball.
After comfortably sitting fourth in the Premier League table, Arsenal have lost back-to-back matches, as Lawrenson thinks bad habits from their days under Wenger still haven’t left them.
Under the Frenchman, towards the back end of his reign, the north London club became a soft touch in the Premier League.
Away from home there would be a lack of fight from the players, and if they were sitting strong in a certain position, you couldn’t trust them to keep hold of it.
Lawrenson thinks those problems, which started just before Wenger left, are still true to this day under Mikel Arteta.
“Arsenal have done just what Arsenal do,” said Lawrenson. “They have had a really good run, then we say ‘oh, they are going to walk fourth and make it easily’.
“Then, they lose games. Palace away, they didn’t turn up. Brighton at home at the weekend. I wouldn’t say they didn’t turn up. But they didn’t start with any fire.
“In the end, they end up getting done, but that’s what Arsenal do since coming towards the end reign of Wenger. That’s the way they were.
“They haven’t really changed. Great when they play well. Easy on the eye. But, on occasions, when they really need to fight and make it difficult for the opposition, they don’t seem to have got it. Tottenham can be like that also.”
Those latter years of Wenger were pretty toxic and it was a shame how it all unfolded.
But, some Arsenal fans probably wish they weren’t as critical as they were back then because at least they would play Champions League football on a regular basis.
That has alluded them for a good number of years, including not playing in Europe at all this term.
This final run-in is huge for the Gunners, including the north London derby because if they mess this one up, then the reaction towards Arteta isn’t going to be pleasant.
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