How crucial is the upcoming Leeds game to Mikel Arteta?

The yoyo-ing Arsenal team under Arteta has been most frustrating for Gooners this season, and with two home losses sandwiched by our away win at Old Trafford it is crucial that the Boss stops the rot immediately in our next game away at our old adversaries Leeds United in 9 days time.

Arteta won’t have much time to work with the players that are away with their international teams, but it is imperative he finds the reasons for our slump.

It is a damning fact that the Gunners have not scored an EPL goal from open play for 6 hours and 26 minutes, but surely we must get a goal or two at Elland Road.

In this very weird season, Bielsa’s side have started well, but have lost their last 2 games by 4-1 scorelines and currently have conceded the joint most goals in the top flight at 17. And ominously have also scored 5 more goals than our expensively acquired attacking line-up, and only the bottom 4 and Wolves have scored less than us right now. Arteta needs to fix that stat very quickly indeed.

Another away win may appease the fans now, but you can imagine if we suffer another loss, which would see Leeds (currently in 15th place) leapfrog us in the table.

It doesn’t bear thinking about, but surely Arteta must be feeling that pressure very acutely right now…

Tags Arteta Leeds

24 Comments

  1. It would be alarm bells time to lose to Leeds. That isnt disrespectful to Leeds but its a game for all sorts of reasons Arsenal have to win. With the investment of the club and the way we are set up, CL football next season is a must. We have gambled on that scenario and as soon as it looks like we are not going to at least compete for that scenario, it will be squeaky bum time.

    1. Agree. Leeds play open, attack minded football so there will hopefully be opportunities for us to score. More so than against teams that defend deep. Correct problem creating & scoring chances but, Arteta is trying to find a good balance.
      Alot of games still to go. Better to judge end of January.

    2. No this is an easier game
      Leeds attacks all out and that plays into Arsenal’s style.

      Arteta’s true test are the teams that sit deep

  2. This game is huge – so much riding on it from an Arsenal perspective. All eyes will be on us to show Villa was just a blip – It’s now a must win game, which sounds crazy so soon into the season, but this is where we are. Let’s hope we deliver….

  3. I’m not holding my breath.

    We are 🐕💩. I must admit I did get caught up in the euphoria of the manure game but we won it with a penalty.

    So far this season i have not been convinced except the Fulham game.

    I’m not gonna blame personnel because it is a tactical issue and I am afraid MAs tactics have been found out. Even the Aston Villa manager said he knew how we was going to play and set up to press the midfield and defense. No point marking the forwards as we can’t transition the ball to them quickly enough.

    I’m not on the ‘Lego Head out’ but he needs to change something and quickly because the Emirates will not put up with the predictable dross we are watching.

    I believe there is more than meets the eye as I thought his post match interview against Molde was tetchy and he kept over speaking the interviewer. Wouldn’t surprise me there is another power struggle somewhere?

    WTF has our club come to?

  4. The roller coaster ride will continue. Arsenal will surely win. We seem to play much better away.

    Mark my words.

  5. Well not important at all as most of fans are satisfied and now used to mediocrity. So even if MA lose this match his faithful supports will come out with new excuse and point to invisible improvement. I don’t have any hope from my team but I know for sure Leeds will play good football worthy of must watch.

  6. Us Gooners in our faithful support for Arsenal FC are hoping Arsenal will beat Leeds Utd after the current international break has ended to in the time being ease some of the frustrations us are currently going through after our unexpected home loss to Aston Villa last Sunday night.

    But why are some of us Gooners doubting Pochettino if hired now by Arsenal as the new Gunners boss to succeede Arteta won’t be able to manage the Gunners on ground he will inherit to win the PL title this season for Arsenal? Or will fail to make it possible for Arsenal to get a top-four table finish as the minimum achievement he will achieve for the club this season to guarantee a CL spot for Arsenal next season?

    I am not an advocate of Pochettino neither have I ever met him nor talked with him. I have only watched him in the dogout when he was the Tottenham manager. And who broke the Spurs jinx of continuously for seasons finishing below Arsenal in the PL table. And coached Spurs to play in CL final before Daniel Levy sacked him for his not guiding Spurs to win a title for the club since he was there as manager.

    But that his failings to win any titles at Spurs doesn’t mean Poch won’t be able to guide the Gunners to win titles for Arsenal if he’s hired by the club as Arsenal manager now. But not latter when Arsenal are out of the PL title win race and to make the top-four place finish this season. Which is looking on the cards could happen if the four loses in 8 PL games that Arsenal have suffered this season are taken into consideration as a pointer to a likely failings.

    Poch is the only top manager who I think is currently available for hiring by any top club sides at the moment. He was being mooted to go to Real Madrid if Zedane fails there. Or to Man Utd if Solskjaer continuea to fail there.

    Poch has the top club managerial experience that can make him to successfully managed the Gunners to the ultimate success this season but if Arsenal hire hint now to make hayes while the sun is still shining in the PL title win race and top-four place finish getting contests. Meaning, while Arsenal have not lost the points in this PL season’s campaign that will see the club miss out on the title win and the top-four place finish.

    Poch managed at Espanoly in Spain, whatever be the spelling of the name of the club is. And at Southampton and Tottenham Hs all in the PL where I think he has accumulated top club managerial career capacity experience. But I am not saying Arsenal must sack Arteta to hire him.

    1. Mikel Arteta is doing a great job at Arsenal and we should not forget that he is less than a year on the job. We should give him enough time to sort out the problems associated with the selection of players as we have talented players. Forget about Poch, we don’t need him.

    2. I do not agree. MAs been a manager less than 1 year. He is trying to rebuild a squad & implement his style of play. I think alot of the issues is we won the FA Cup & community shield. Alot say there tin pot competitions but barring Mourinho,Klopp,Pep & Ancelotti MA has won more than most inc Poch. Alot would of liked that.
      WE HAVE TO GIVE HIM TIME.

    3. No Poch is a bottlejob, period. The most he can do is take us top 4 and keep us there. Also do you think as a former spud manager, he would take the job? Nope.

  7. It’s not just the Leeds game which is crucial but the two following PL matches against Wolves & Spurs both of which are going to be very tricky. On the current form (of the three teams) we should be worth five points which wouldn’t be bad at all and Arteta would I’m sure be quite satisfied with that total.

  8. Arsenal game looks boring since Wenger left.

    I have not seen anything special that arteta brought into the team.
    I love to watch attacking and entertaining football, that is why I supported arsenal in the first place.

    Look at the way Leed, chelsea, Aston Villa, Liverpool are playing. They play pressing and attacking football. I feel jealous of Chelsea anytime I watch their games.
    Frank lampard was an attacking midfielder with great goal scoring record before he retired from playing, look at the team he is setting up- attacking minded teams.

    Arteta on the other hand plays like xhaka when he was playing for us, maybe that he why he is setting up such a boring and negative tactic team.

  9. I think arteta should get till end of this season, if we don’t finish in the europa league places at the very least and a cup he should be replaced, he’s style of football is not easy on the eye, hope he plays this team against Leeds…
    Leno
    Amn. Luiz gab. Tierney
    Elneney
    Partey cobbello
    Pepe. Auba. Saka

  10. If we lose at Leeds, the daggers will be out. The problem with Arteta’s brand of football is that it is ultra conservative stuff that is being dished out. Creativity has been completely stifled and the rigid regimen does not allow players to express themselves. My other gripe is that certain players like do not seem to be able to buy a game, while others will play regardless of performance. Arteta is on a short leash, but he ought to be given until the end of the season to see how he evolves. That said, if performance continues to decline, he will be under great pressure. It’s all about accountability. He picks team and tactics, and if these don’t deliver results, he must answer for it.

  11. I have never been this fearful of the next game like this coming one….

    I put our chances of beating Leeds are at 5%. We have absolutely no chance of winning at Leeds according to what I’ve witnessed this season.

    To even think we have Wolves and Spurs after that!!!!!

    The earlier these”top” people at the club recruit a top manager, the better.

    MAURIZIO SARRI is the name that comes to mind right now, because all the other options I love (Rodgers, Bielsa) have contracts that will need paying out. Remember he set the foundation for Chelsea that Lampard is wrongly getting all credit for.

    1. What can Sarri do to Xhaka, Kolasinac, Laca, Ozil except giving them boots at the back? They will not change. Dump these gentlemen out of the club first, then expect results. Our results have gone sour because we miss Freddie, plain and simple. Letting him go was one mistake Mikel did.

  12. Arteta is still learning , then we should ask ourselves whether we can wait and give him time, to learn and produce,, bcoz he is not a championship manager. Afterall he looks like he his a divided team, which makes our striker fail , fail and fail to get goals, also paly Willian ahead of Pepe uummm i do not agree, fine i liked Xhaka benched ahead Mo, but game plan, formation are a problem for Arteta, the 3 attackers should be flexible, if anyone has realised Auba is played 1 win the whole of 90mins, uuummm we wont get goals

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