Let’s face it, goals are like gold coins. No matter how many you have, the next one is never worthless.
And yet I can’t help but feel like Arsenal’s season has been marked by a lack of greed when it comes to scoring goals, and even seeking them. Too often, they have seemed content with what they have, falling back into careful, possession-based football instead of pushing for more.
Especially in the second half of the season, there have been moments where Arsenal have not shown the ruthlessness that teams need to become champions. That mindset has to come from the very top and spread across every player and every part of the club.
Manchester City, of course, have shown that time and again over the years, and it is a big reason why they continue to win trophies.
Fine margins and missed chances
There are several games this season that Arsenal will look back on with frustration. Matches where just one more goal could have made all the difference.
Those are the moments that define a title race.
But in those situations, Arsenal have sometimes lacked the ruthless edge needed to finish teams off. Instead of putting games beyond doubt, they have allowed opponents to stay in it, giving them belief and, ultimately, a chance to take points.
Their style is built on control, and there is a lot to admire in that. But without that extra attacking urgency, control can turn into caution, and caution can be costly.
A moment that summed it up
That feeling was on display again in the recent 2-1 loss to Manchester City.
Late in the game, Arsenal had a chance to push forward quickly into space and put real pressure on City. Declan Rice had made a strong run into a dangerous area, but instead of moving the ball into that space, the opportunity was slowed down and eventually lost.
It may seem like a small moment, but it reflects a bigger issue.
A ruthless team takes that chance without hesitation. They attack the space, they commit bodies forward, and they do everything they can to force a goal when it matters most.
Arsenal, at times, have taken the safer option.
The next step
This is not about changing everything. Arsenal have built something strong this season, with structure, discipline, and quality across the pitch.
But the final step is mentality.
It is about recognising when to shift from control to aggression. When to stop managing the game and start finishing it.
Because at this level, the difference between winning the title and falling short can be incredibly small.
There is still time for Arsenal to show that edge.
But if they are to become champions, they need to find that ruthless side.
Because in football, just like with gold coins, one more goal is always worth everything.
Reader Opinion: Tom Champoux
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I couldn’t agree with you more!
I think it’s got to the stage now where we need to go for it. If we fail, fail with all guns blazing. Don’t go out with a whimper, if you go out go out with a bang, that’s what I say.
And who knows, they might even win it.
I agree. And fans too. None of that silent and actually nervous like we were was against Muff – no Gordon, no Joel, crazy Bruno rusty, no Lavia, and no Isak – what a chance, we only got to blow the ruddy roof off.
The stadium is certainly roofless enough.
There’s been a drop off in team balance and coherence. Please note team sheets have not been anything like consistent for run in and what you’d like business end of season.
Am I the only one who can see random team sheets and balance and coherence issues?
I should have been in the Spike Lee film.
Play Havertz upfront, play Dowman on the right, play Eze directly behind Havertz and finally double pivot Rice and Odegaard. We will smash Newcastle with this line up.
We need to play hard attacking football for the next 5 PL matches. And not try to overly defend a 1 or 2 goals lead. We need to win but score as many goals as possible because we need to assume that they will win their last 6 games as well.
Arteta needs to play attacking football
Not ruthless, but we must win most duels and create more clear-cut chances to score. If we can do those stuff, we’d likely win the remaining games
The last starting line-up and tactics used to play against Man City were pretty good, because Havertz and Eze got few great chances to score
If Havertz keeps playing false-nine and Odegaard keeps dictating the tempo like that, I believe we’ll score more goals. Lastly, we need Calafiori to return as soon as possible
gotanidea,
Having read a piece on Calafiori in another article, he may be a bit tired. 😂
It’s unbelievable, because the Italian defender has got the look and money to sleep with some pretty ladies freely
doesn’t work like that
I think that’s a reference to names we won’t mention, mentioned in media reports about an Italian escort scandal that we won’t mention.
Does this count as mentioning it?
Why Dan? I’m sure some good-looking cougars would love to sleep with a young, rich and famous athlete
but that’s. not why a rich person does it
You accept it’s fitness training, in a sense, horizontal jogging?
You accept it’s cultural – Latin lifestyle v English lifestyle means things thought of differently in different countries? Like French players and managers have mistresses – what is media scandal and sacking in one country, is a shrug reaction in another.
We have to be ruthless, don’t have a choice.
I like the idea of Rice and Odegaard pivoting and Eve behind Havertz upfront.
Arsenal must play to Havertz’s strengths when he is the striker.
Havertz thrives more on the crosses into the box with his aerial prowess. But we don’t seem to utilise this strength often enough. The few occasions the crosses came, Havertz was dangerous, including that header from Trossard’s cross that narrowly missed target at the tail end of the City game.
There has to be a change in attacking approach between when Havertz plays upfront and when Gyokeres does. It’s called tactical flexibility.
I like your thinking. But how would Gyokeres reply to your post?
Havertz will miss every sitter he has . He will score an occasional good goal but his propensity to miss the easy stuff is not what we need upfront. Play Gyokeres and provide service to him. As far as Eze the guy needs to work harder. I think Atatas preference to Odeagaard is because he runs and pressures twice as much as Eze. This is not CP so get moving. Odegaard in a pivot role though will be a nightmare. The guy has never won a duel in his life and he also will loose the ball in critical areas.
but no matter what the personnel is if we cant go forward quicker teams can sit in and then goals are hard to come by. And when every goal counts for the title the approach needs to change.
I am a lover of attacking football that is why I love watching Arsenal, but at the beginning of the second half of the season, the attacking flare has gone and Arteta has now embrace control and possession based football. My candid advice to Arteta is to back to his old ways of attacking football, that is when he has higher probability of winning premiership with higher goals margin, because as it, all things being equal, winners will be by goals.