The third most successful outfit in English top-flight history with 13 titles to their name have finished second for the past three league campaigns, which is not good enough.
On top of that, it has been six seasons since the Gunners last won a piece of silverware, the 2020 FA Cup final, which saw the North Londoners come back from a goal down to beat Chelsea 2-1 thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s goalscoring prowess. That major honour remains Arteta’s one and only trophy lifted since becoming manager earlier that year.
Rubbing salt into the wounds of all Gooners, it has been over 20 years since the Gunners lifted the Premier League in 2004 as the Invincibles under Arsène Wenger, a record no team has eclipsed since. Times need to change soon at N5 because Arsenal are running out of chances to prove themselves as worthy title winners. If not now, then when?
Lessons from past failings
The Gunners have already slipped up twice late on during two of the last three Premier League seasons when, on paper, they should not have lost, especially after being top by almost ten points at Christmas in 2022. That collapse was diabolical.
If Arsenal had won the Champions League last season instead of falling at the semi-final stage to French side PSG, the Premier League defeat would have been more acceptable.
So far this campaign, despite Arsenal only having played two games, they look like strong title contenders for the fourth year running, beating Manchester United away 1-0 and thrashing Leeds United 5-0 on Saturday.
Signs of real progress
It also looks like Arsenal have a proven goalscorer in Viktor Gyökeres, who nearly scored a hat-trick in only his second Premier League game against Leeds. The Gunners need all the goals they can get, and it currently looks as if they now possess the attacking might that went missing last campaign, when they relied upon Mikel Merino for goals. The Spaniard is far from being an out-and-out attacker and is in fact a midfielder.
At the other end of the field, the back line has held up firmly, helping David Raya in goal earn back-to-back clean sheets. This serves not only himself well, but Arsenal’s early goal difference too, plus six, higher than any other team including Liverpool, Manchester City, Spurs and Chelsea.
Time is running out for Arteta, and if he can win Arsenal and himself the title this season, he will not only vindicate his project but also millions of Gooners worldwide who are desperate to see the Premier League trophy return at long last.
Even ESPN called Arteta out, exclaiming he “has no excuses.” Harsh words, but perhaps fair.
Will Arsenal be fourth time lucky at winning the Premiership?
Liam Harding
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Yes, I think Arteta must deliver because of the time and treasure expended getting here.
Whether he will is anyone’s guess at this stage of the season. That said, with their new acquisitions I don’t think Arsenal have been better prepared for a very long time.
Arsenal are better prepared but surely you can see that this was necessary to even mount credible challenges. Arsenal already have 3 of their best players out with injury. Do you think this is an irrelevant consideration?
I think they have better players than Jesus, Haverz and Tomiasu.
It was the golden chance two seasons ago to win it successively (we finished 2nd too last season but we weren’t contenders at any point during the season) when all our main opponents were in transition.
Man city may (though doubtful) become scary again, Liverpool only changed a manager and became winners, Spurs are looking a different team altogether, Chelsea are challengers now, Man utd are slowly starting to take shape and there is always one small team which becomes surprise of the season.
This season looks like it will be the hardest in recent memory.
I look at Oliver Glasner, a man who have achieved the impossible with Palace and instead of enjoying his success he lost Europa place, losing his best players, battling it out with a very stretched squad yet he remains humble.
Comparing to our manager who keep spending like there is no tomorrow, being paid like he is a Pep or Ancelotti and still have nothing to show for it yet I dont detect a shred of humbleness in him.
The sad thing is even if he wins nothing most likely he will get a new improved contract. That is the Kroenkes and their Arsenal for you.
👆
Always grieving when it comes to Arteta.
🤣🤣🤣🤓
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Always creeping in the shadows waiting to repeat your nonsense 4 times over .
🤣🤣🤣🤓
As should we all.
5 years given, 1 billion spent and we are celebrating coming short 3 times in a row, to two different champions!
The Man City dominance excuse sounds sillier than it did the first time doesn’t it?
He finishes top 4 Koronkes won’t sack him
I really don’t know the basis for for all the ” no excuse” rants to be honest. Arsenal have strengthened their squad yes, but so have their rivals.
As a matter of fact, how many people are actually giving it to Arsenal to win the league? Not many, I guess.
In fact out of 35 ESPN pundits in a recent publication, only 6 gave Arsenal the nod; a massive 21 gave it to Liverpool. And yet the same ESPN is singing the “no excuse” chorus.
I want Arsenal to win the league and indeed every other competition this season, but I am aware that they don’t have any exclusive rights for that expectation
It’s called entitlement and not allowing your judgment to be questioned by the existence of any of those pesky facts which could be used to indicate that you weren’t absolutely correct regardless of anything else.
Its called opinion!!!!
Bang on Reggie ,seems some fans cannot stand the fact other fans have a different opinion to others .
Find it odd TBF
The opinions should be grounded in some kind of reality or rationality.
Some of the opinions lack logical consistency. If a significant percentage are suggesting that Arsenal are not favourites how can they still be insistent that Arsenal must win.
Really, then why do you not practice what you preach!!!!
And obviously mine are.
Lol @reggie
David the only fan I read agreed with Arteta when he blamed the puma ball .
The Arteta bias is strong with this one .
I do find it hard dealing with blinkered fans.
The “no excuse” rants are from a narrow band of unreasonable people some of whom have a sense of entitlement. Amongst these people are those who have an unhealthy and obsessive disregard for the Arsenal manager.
The fact is that Arsenal have invested and strengthened the squad and so are well placed to challenge for titles.
By raising the levels it is understandable that expectations are higher. However, there are many variables that can affect the outcome of a match and a season.
It is instructive that even with this strengthening Arsenal are not outright favourites for the major titles. This highlights how competitive things are likely to be amongst the leading teams.
Here’s the thing- Arteta has been spending for SIX years yet the only trophy he won was with a team he inherited from Emery. Yes, the standards have gone up- but it is down to our manager to raise ours as well, and after splashing so much money this window, surely we must have a chance? Or is Arteta missing that final cutting edge to winning a trophy?
“on paper” we should not have lost (meaning we should have won) the title in ’22/’23 and ’23/’24? Ridiculous imo.
Agree, we threw it in 23/24 though. 22/23 was down to naivety and not entirely unexpected and always on the cards.
Arteta should know this and know peace. He should try everything fairly possible to win a major trophy this season. It’s as simple as that. No excuses.
There’s nothing like “must” in life reality only possibility and probability.
Saying we must win the league this season is naive lined with entitlement.
The right word is Arsenal should win the league not must win the league. Nothing is certain….
And, naively,using reason of money spent this season, to justify this “must” claim,is already being quashed by the defending champion spending more . I believe we’re winning it this season because of our consistency.
To me there are no excuses this season. Arteta has been given enough time and funding. The majority of our fanbase has been very patient, understanding and supportive since he was appointed in December 2019.
The Kroenke’s and Berta have equipped him with all the Armour he needed.
I say: Come on Arteta, make us proud.
🙏🤞👍
Can not argue with that.
😂
I do not want to speak for anyone else, but perhaps their opinions are colored by the issues we had in years past are finally being addressed; all at once! Best squad and opportunity I have seen in the last 20 years.
1. Finally have a goal-scoring striker, no more messing about with false-9 facilitators.
2. Depth, we have 2 players for every position, minus Havertz the long-term question due to injury.
3. Quality across the pitch. Hard pressed to find better players compared to opponents starting 11.
4. Can’t complain about the Kroenke’s purse-strings anymore, over a billion and 23 new players, 7 this Summer and could be yet another!
Resources abound now at Arsenal, quality squad, seemingly every player we talk to is more than happy to choose Arsenal.
Aside from double-digit injuries plaguing us at the same time, it comes down to the manager.
Rotation, benching underperformers, tactics, and adjusting during the game falls to Arteta to get it right.
I don’t consider it “entitlement,” but what are we lacking in our squad? If we aren’t lacking, then what is the excuse; other than manager tactics and selections?
Can not disagree with that.
You need to consider the realities of the world you live in. You are describing things as if Arsenal exist as a super team all by themselves.
Do you think that analyses should ignore the competition?
It may be a very good squad but have you made any attempt to compare with other top teams or do you think that is irrelevant?
Ahhhhh but thats where the managers come in!!!!!! Its there jobs to win trophies????
The manager’s job is to choose tactics AGAINST opponents. So if Arteta cannot get his tactics right, whose fault is it? Bear in mind he has been our manager for SIX years.
So far, a lively exchange of views all round.
Personally, I hope Arteta is successful and that he succeeds, finally, in bringing Arsenal the title in 2025-26.
However, if he doesn’t then I think it would be time to call it a day after (what would then be) six and a half seasons in charge.
I don’t think that’s unreasonable or unfair on Arteta, not in the very tough world of football coaching at the top professional level. He would have tried his best – surely nobody doubts that – but it just wouldn’t have been quite good enough in the end. Thanks for trying, but time to move on.
Can’t disagree with that.
I will go as far to say, if Arteta wins the league or CL this season, he has proved all the people who have made every excuse under the sun, every person who said, next year will be his year, every person who said he has been unlucky, every person who said the establishment is against us, RIGHT. But if he doesn’t then everyone of us who have been saying for 6 years he isn’t good enough, NO argument, we are right and Arteta is incapable. I know the snipers are waiting for us and want to shoot us down. But do you know what, unlike some of you, I hope you pop your guns Because I don’t like being proved right every year. Come on Mikel prove you can do it!!!!! Over a billion pounds says you can’t mess it up again 😆
Whether he wins it or not we have already been proven right long time ago. He has had 5 tries and failed all of them why would a 6th prove the “naysayers” wrong?
If the naysayers have been wrong these past 5 years where are the silverwares?
We are talking about a man who operates on unlimited budget and still failed time after time here!
If he was a rocket scientist some of his rockets failed to launch and those which did failed to reach the orbit!
One minute I’m reading that all our opponents are strengthening their squads and the next our club have no excuses if we don’t win the PL this season.
One minute fans are moaning about not spending enough last summer and now it’s seen as a negative that we’re spending more than anyone thought possible.
One minute there can be “no more excuses” the next we’re already talking about injuries to Havertz, Saka, Odegaard and White after just two games.
One minute the talk is about our manager not giving our younger players a chance, the next we see Dowman, Nketiah and Skelly playing in the PL.
Let’s be clear, I do believe that it’s time for Mikel Arteta to finally break that 2nd spot hoodoo and he’s been supported 100% by our owner in that quest.
But to say there can be no circumstances where MA has a legitimate reason if he doesn’t win it, is just plain
bonkers.
We seem to be some of THE most entitled set of fans in the country and, just like the Wenger years, split down the middle regarding our manager.
One minute it’s all about bottling the league, being knocked out of the domestic cups early, spending enormous amounts of money, then the next, we’re celebrating being in the CL semi final, coming second three times in a row, seeing players turning down the opportunity to play for chelski, manure, spuds, city115 and citing our club and its manager for wanting to wear the shirt such as Rice, Saliba, Gyokeres, Eze etc etc.
So the question I would ask my fellow Gooners is this, why
would these top players put our club at the top of their list to play for?
Think about the fact that Zubimendi turned down liverpool, even after they were crowned PL champions and way ahead of us in second place!!
I believe it’s the manager, the tradition, the match day support and the prospect of matching the Invincibles.
On point ken. When the owners were not spending to get top players some fan’s here complained . now the owners are spending the same fan’s are complaining . For the past 8years Arsenal have not spent more than other top teams in EPL.. this is the first time we’ve balance squad under Arteta quality on the bench. hopefully the team will win something big this season.
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100%, the Artetaout ‘fans’ are mostly being foolish.
Some simple points/questions (there’s loads more):
– Arteta has spent £1b in six seasons, true. However, Maresca has spent £500m in the last year alone, Pep injected around £350-400m this calendar year alone, Liverpool who just won the league comfortably have added, Wirtz, Kerkez, Ekitike, Frimpong and Marschiavelli (sic?) who are mostly world class, thats around £300m and they’re looking to get a deal for the league’s best 9 in Isak over the line in what would take their summer spending to near £450m.
– If Arteta leaves, who comes in? Which manager out there comes in and instantly pushes us that bit further to the title? Which manager dunks on a Pep team 5-1? Which manager helps turn the club around and creates an improved winning mentality? Which manager finds the balance between bringing in top players whilst still promoting our youth?
– For the last three seasons we have had the most cumulative points of anyone in the league, and the best defensive record throughout.
– His first 2-3years he was getting us back into CL places, not challenging for the league. The following 2 seasons he was overachieving with a small squad going up against arguably the best club manager of all time and the best PL team of all time.
– Last season was the only one you could argue we were favourites, but even then Edu’s recruitment was poor last summer, especially in attack (yes, Edu, look how things have gone for us since Berta joined and Forest since they got Edu). Our attack was thin and saw long term absences for all our starting attackers in Havertz, Saka, Odegaard and Martinelli. Plus, it has been proven poor officiating cost us more points than anyone in the league. Last season, was admittedly a step back both in results and style of play, but that seems to have been remedied with the summer’s business.
– Most of the players love working under Arteta, losing him could cost us a wave of integral players who won’t stick around for another ‘rebuild’.
– Arteta has turned Arsenal from Banter FC to a team that is not only back in the top 4 and CL but genuinely challenging to win both.
– We’ve seen great academy players come through and won the race for major acquisitions like Rice, Eze, Zubimendi et al, that were wanted by high profile opposition.
– Our record within the ‘big 6’ used to be embarrassing, we now haven’t lost a PL game to any of them in absolutely ages – just one of many records the club has set under Arteta.
I’m not saying he’s untouchable, if we drop out of all the cups early and do poor in the league, then yeah, put his position under review. But if we finish the league with 93 points and still end up 2nd, or get to the CL final and lose on penalties, if fans still ask for him to go after that, then those aren’t AFC fans, they’re braindead glory hunters that don’t understand the reality of competitive sport.
Opinions are going to be mixed, I just wish fans would show the guy some respect for building something we’ve all wanted since 2007, a team that is feared and competes.
Not quite accurate on the “cumalative points totals” for the “last three seasons.”
We’re actually second on 247 to City’s 251.
Arteta though, says “last three years”, and to be honest I can’t be arsed to check that, but he’s probably correct.
Yes indeed, who would we get to replace him and then start all over again with the same old “X out” BS?
Ah sorry Jax, I must have made an error tallying up the numbers, thanks for clarifying, I’ll trust you got it right! Still, only 4points off the best team and manager in PL history, who have spent tons (and way more on wages), and who have arguably cheated 115 times to get where they are – I think we’re in good hands 😉
Nice back up comments to Ken1945. Hopefully we avoid injuries that’s my only fear. In the absence of injuries this team is destined to win big, I believe…COYG
Ken1945,
“Why would these players put our club at the top of their wish list to play for?”
The answer is simple, they want to meet Win the dog. 🤣😂👍
Derek, If the season goes belly up, he may bring in a Weiner dog.
👍Great comment ken1945. I’m right with you mate.
👍
If Berta was around in 23/24, there’s no way we’re wasting money on Havertz when we needed a proper baller in midfield or a striker that could actually bang goals straight away. We’d have walked the league, easy. To make it worse, Arteta shove Havertz in from day one even though he was completely out of form, cost us minimum 4 points. Then he does the same with Raya, rushes him straight in and boom, another 2 points gone just like that. If he’d just eased them in as late substitutes or through cup games, and be more rational, we’d be champions. You’d expect such basic logic to be easy to come by, yet here we are😔😔😔
I must say, this season’s transfers in have made me feel that this would be OUR year!!
BUT, I cannot help but feel that Liverpool have stolen a march on us by bringing in ISAK.
I would not be so worried if we had brought in a counter weight such as Rodrygo,
but I fear I will spend this entire season with my fingers crossed.