Arsenal lacks ammunition in search to end the drought of the Premier League title

After failing Manchester City for the title of the Premier League in the last two seasons, Arsenal has entered the 2024-25 season as a title candidate. Five months after the start of the fray, he drags Liverpool from nine points. With the Merseyside Club capitalizing on the difficulties of the city and a crucial match against the Guardiola team, this match seems crucial for the hopes of the title of Arsenal.

The dreams of the FA Cup of the Londonian North was destroyed by the former rivals, Manchester United, and an overwhelming 2-0 defeat against Newcastle United in the first leg of the semi-final of the League Cup did not that aggravate their misfortunes. Despite a strong performance in the Champions League group phase (six victories in eight), the threat of another season without trophy attenuated the enthusiasm of the fans.

What hinders Arsenal’s progress?

The men of Mikel Arteta lost seven points in his first eight championship matches, firing two and losing one, then dropped 12 points from the winning positions. The last one was a 2-2 draw at home against Aston Villa, which the Gunners led 2-0 until the 60th minute. A brutal combination of injuries, suspensions and erect chances has wreaked havoc.

After the 2022-23 season, when Arsenal set up a title challenge for the first time, Arteta prioritized the defensive solidity on the attack of Flair, reducing the scope of spontaneity, condensing the game in less great moments and reducing Games with expected goals in low opening (xg (xg (xg (xg (xg (xg (xg was weak (xg (xg (xg (xg (xg (xg was (xg (xg (xg (xg is at Low game (XG (XG A) Business.

The average possession of the arsenal ball went from 58.2% to 55.21, which reflects the changing philosophy of Arteta which emphasizes defense without the ball. This approach made the Northern London team the only team to concede a goal directly from a defensive error.

Several injuries to key players at the start of the season forced Arteta to modify its usual 4-3-3 configuration to welcome out-of-position players. Sometimes Arteta used four central defenders alongside two defensive fields to fill the gaps.

Despite a compromised attack configuration, Arsenal scored the fifth goals of the League (44), with sets, especially the corners, playing a big role.

Impact of injuries

The creative nucleus and the Arsenal captain, Martin Odegaard, suffered an ankle injury during the international break in September, adding to the shoulder injury Mikel Merino suffered during his first training session, who held it outside for six weeks.

Martin Odegaard of Arsenal reacts after suffering an injury. | Photo credit: Reuters

Merino’s injury meant that Arteta’s plans for the problematic position of the left should again be suspended. This position was one of the Arsenal Achilles heels since the Moving Xhaka Granite in Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2023.

But the broader problem was injuries to several players in the same position, which disturbed the rhythm of the team.

Arteta had to appoint eleven different departure combinations in 23 league games. No variations started more than five times, and none started more than three games in a row.

The right rear of the first choice, Ben White, made only 12 appearances in all competitions, lacking different periods between September and November with a knee injury before undergoing surgery.

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In the past two seasons, a coherent scheme has emerged in the right flank of Arsenal, with positions by Bukayo Saka, White and Odegaard. However, this season, this trio only started together in four league games. This means that Arsenal players had to adapt and establish new partnerships with various teammates.

Saka’s loss just before Christmas worsened things. The 23 -year -old was the engine of the Arsenal attack, with five goals and 10 assists. The graduate of Hale End (Arsenal’s Academy) still leads the League in the creation of Big Chance (19), despite not having played in the last seven games of his team.

During the defeat of the FA Cup against United, Arsenal also lost Jesus, who returned to the form of goals, to an ACL injury (anterior crossed ligament), which was deemed Brazilian for the season.

Missed opportunities

One of the most frustrating aspects of the Arsenal game was its lack of finishing instinct. It seems that it is too much emphasis on the notation of the perfect goal of the open game.

Kai Havertz, who is not a conventional attacker, led the line. Although the German has scored 14 goals out of 31 appearances in all competitions and recorded the most distance traveled (123 km) in the Premier League, its missed chances drew the attention of criticism.

Kai Havertz d’Arsenal reacts in the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and Arsenal FC. | Photo credit: Getty Images

The attack seems to be in disagreement. With only five players available for the first three, including Ethan Nwaneri, 17, the options are limited. As the season progresses, the team’s difficulties in converting chances are to raise questions about the team’s recruitment strategy and highlight the potential failures of the transfer market.

Despite more than 100 million pounds sterling in the summer transfer window, mainly on three first team players: David Raya – whose Brentford loan agreement was made permanent – Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino, he Has failed to strengthen his attack options.

The only addition to their attack was Chelsea Outcast Raheem Sterling, which was ready. On the other hand, they sold the Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah academic products.

Although the rules of profit and sustainability of the Premier League (PSR) played a role in these departures, they were not forced by them. The 34 million euros he received from the sale of Smith Rowe would have balanced the books after having reserved a profit of 40 million euros for the sale of another product from the Folarin Balogun Academy a summer earlier .

The decision to enter the new season with an attacker subject to injuries (Jesus) and a hybrid center-forward (Havertz) turned out to be a mistake with hindsight.

Following the departure of the sports director Edu, Arsenal would have tried to land an attacker in the January transfer window (which ends on February 3). Although several players have been linked, no one has yet arrived in London Colary.

With 15 games to play, Arne Slot’s men have a more difficult route to come compared to the Gunners with several delicate clashes with trips to Aston Villa, Man City, Chelsea and Archrivals Everton alongside an enticing confrontation against Northern Londoners.

Arsenal must overcome a deficit of nine points to raise the title after 21 years. The task is intimidating but it is not unknown. During the 1997-1998 season, the Gunners dragged United 12 points in February, but they ended up winning the league with a point, giving Arsène Wenger his first title.