1. Arsenal lost 2-0 to Liverpool on Sunday, eliminating them from the FA Cup.
2. There was a familiar ring to the angry yells directed towards the Emirates.
3. It’s All Kicking Off: Kai Havertz gets SHACKLED to wear Arsenal’s No. 9 shirt because it weighs too much.
There was a familiar ring to the cries of frustration directed towards the Emirates.
After a plethora of missed opportunities in the first half, Martin Odegaard appeared to be about to score when he smacked his shot on the crossbar, causing some angry cries to come from the seats next to the press box and the stands. I hadn’t heard them in a while.
By the way, that is not a jab at Arsenal supporters. Their team’s goal-scoring ineptitude against Liverpool on Sunday night would have tested a saint’s patience. However, it was only a semblance of the tension and smouldering dissatisfaction that engulfed Arsenal’s home for so many years as they attempted to relive their past glory during Arsene Wenger’s dog days and beyond.
The stadium was thick with hate and poison over those agonising years. Flags reading “Wenger Out” were flown from aircraft flying overhead, while disagreements within the fan base divided opinions on whether the greatest manager in Arsenal’s history could lead the team back to the top once more.
However, those lonesome cries of frustration on Sunday night as Arsenal lost for the third time in a row also served as a reminder of the fantastic work Mikel Arteta has done since joining the team in December 2019, a time when it seemed as though Arsenal’s shortcomings were torturing them.
Turning around a football behemoth such as Arsenal is a herculean task, especially after the retirement of a patriarch like Wenger who commanded every aspect of the club and whose absence left a power vacuum in the north London operation.
The ongoing struggles of Manchester United, who are still going through the hardships of life after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, reveal to us just how successful a manager Arteta has already proven to be. The team is still trying to find players who want to fight for the club, searching for an identity, and trying to recreate the atmosphere of the past.
Although Arteta wears his heart on his sleeve, he did not manage the misfortune of losing to a contested goal at Newcastle in early November well at all, and his frenzied reaction to that defeat did neither him nor his club any favours. He is new to this work and will pick up skills over time.
Nor does that run-in with authority take away from the work he’s done. Arsenal is currently going through a rough patch after losing their next two Premier League games to West Ham and Fulham and losing to Liverpool in the FA Cup, but Arteta should only get praise for his ability to make the team competitive again.
Arsenal is a beautiful team to watch, but Tottenham has earned a lot of plaudits for the way they have been playing under Ange Postecoglou.
Even if they did not get the desired outcome versus Liverpool, they still produced some absolutely amazing plays. That was made by Arteta.
Which English football stars are your favourites to watch? Trent Alexander-Arnold, Son Heung-min, and Kevin De Bruyne would all be on my roster, although Odegaard and Bukayo Saka would be Arsenal players. Arteta has established the ideal environment for them to develop, thrive, and express themselves.
Declan Rice, who left West Ham in the summer, may have received some unfair criticism in the last few games, but he has already established himself as one of the world’s top defensive midfielders. He is simply going to continue to improve. Furthermore, one of the Premier League’s most elegant defenders is William Saliba.
The English game also requires a really good Arsenal team. It needs every opponent it can bring to Manchester City’s hegemony because, as stunning as they are to see, nobody wants to see them easily win four titles in a row. Competition is necessary for English football. Arsenal and Liverpool must challenge Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff.
Arsenal is still a work in progress. That is becoming more and more clear. They lack a productive striker. Ian Wright was accurate when he lamented Arsenal’s lacklustre performance in the closing stages of the match on Sunday: “We need a killer.” Ivan Toney is what they need, but it remains to be seen if they can pay him or convince Brentford to let go of him.
That completes the jigsaw puzzle. A prolific scorer. But there’s no need to panic about what’s happening right now. It’s a moment in time. The timing of the winter vacation seems ideal for Arteta and his group to implement the “reset” he mentioned they require.
Arsenal has already come a very long way thanks to Arteta. He has demonstrated that he is capable of leading a behemoth. He can lead them to the finish of the journey if the club maintains its nerve.
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