Arsenal suffered a costly defeat against West Ham, a significant setback for a team determined to win the Premier League this season. The Gunners have been trailing Liverpool in the title race, but the Reds’ recent draw against Aston Villa presented Mikel Arteta’s side with a golden opportunity to close the gap. However, Arsenal failed to capitalise, losing to the Hammers at home in a result that could have serious implications for their title challenge.
Liverpool now have some breathing space following their win over Manchester City, they have now further extended the gap between themselves and Arsenal. That is the last thing Arteta’s team needs at this stage of the season, but it is now Liverpool’s title to lose.
The Gunners must quickly respond to this setback, and the only way to do so is by going on a winning run. With only a handful of matches left, they cannot afford any more slip-ups if they are serious about lifting the Premier League trophy.
Their recent warm-weather training camp in Dubai was expected to sharpen their performances, but so far, it has not produced the desired results. However, Arsenal must now ensure that the benefits of that training camp come into play, as they need to string together a long run of victories to stand any chance of catching Liverpool.
If Arsenal can win at least ten of their remaining matches, they could still be in contention for the league title. Otherwise, their hopes of finishing the season as champions will likely fade away. Arteta and his players must now focus on bouncing back immediately, ensuring they do not allow this loss to derail their season completely.
ADMIN COMMENT
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Don’t be naive.
We haven’t been in the title race for months.
Injuries and negligent squad management have done for us.
It surely can’t be long before the Kroenke Out protests start again.
And how Martin, are they going to make that winning run? Are injured players coming back? Are we getting some additions?
How are we going to manage that with our dear rigid manager and his rigid tactics?
The talk now should be how we should hang on for the top finish not winning the league. That ship sailed long after we failed to win it back to back two seasons ago.
*top four finish*
Anyone who still believes this Arsenal side can win the league or champions league is seriously deluding themselves, absolutely no chance this manager wins anything with Arsenal playing so poorly every single week, even trouncing City a few weeks ago now looks a hollow victory, they’ve been absolutely awful this season so smashing them was never really a big deal, Arteta has lost the plot and needs to go at the end of the season, so what if we finish runner up again, shall we just keep finishing runner up every season?
What’s the point of this article. What Arsenal must
correct to stay in the title race.
That ship sailed long ago. Why is it that some people just can’t or won’t except it.
Totally pointless article. Forget the title and move on people. 🙄🤦♂️🤷♂️
The season is over. We just have to be satisfied with a top 4 finish which we are not even guaranteed.
I don’t see any of the players giving us match winning goals.
It’s most likely that we will drop points again to Nottingham forest on Wednesday.
The only thing to look out for is Saka and Martinelli coming back in April fit and firing.
I’m already looking out for the summer where Arteta might fail again with his top targets being upcoming and unproven Sesko.
Then Zubimendi and a whole hosts of left backs. 😂
Martinelli back and firing?! Tall order! That lad has been sleeping for 2 seasons now.. If our squad depth wasn’t so bad to begin with, I would sell Martinelli in a heart beat.
😂 A miracle might just happen and he Martinelli might get his electrifying pace and eye for goal again.
I was mostly really referring to our golden boy, Saka.
I just pray Saka does not turn out to be like those players that lose form after an injury.
Odegaard has lost his form ever since his return from injury and it’s hurting us badly. He only played well against Chelsea where he gave an assist to Martinelli to score.
spot on
And a GK, Raya is due for the boot, his second season, he will need to challenge the new GK, because we all know Mikel is fair and wants competition for every position.
There is nothing to correct because the title race is already over. Let’s focus on securing 2nd place which we have a better chance of doing. Losing at home to Westham means even the seemingly straightfoward PSV UCL tie will now be a doubt. What won’t be a doubt though is getting knocked out by Real Madrid. I hope the manager learns and gets proper forwards for next season. Signing Sterling was such a ridiculous joke, I can’t believe Arteta thought he could get away with it.
Why has my comment been censored Martin ?
It wasn’t offensive, just factual.
I did not censor your comment. It was your first comment and therefore held in moderation amd when I get time to check the comments I will then approve them if they abide by the site rules. I have approved your first comment.
I don’t think Liverpool will lose three EPL matches
They will also play against Spuds/ Chelsea and our London rivals would likely be happy to lose, just to make sure we don’t win the league
Our UCL path is also extremely tough, so Arsenal had better focus on their summer transfer plan now
@Gai, this time of the season we need to be realistic, Arsenal won’t win anything. Elp or UCL. I have been watching and following Epl and UCl for a while. How far can Arsenal go with the experiment of using Merino upfront against good opposition/coaches in Epl or UCL?
Better to start planning for the summer.
Yes, Arsenal have to prepare some alternatives if their main transfer targets can’t join us in the summer
Do you mean to SAY to stay in top four race ? NOTT Forest is just fewer points to topple Arteta and the Boys on the Table, and Edu’s Gang looks like trying to make a statement somehow, and sure they have some pretty history too, you know.
It’s 70% certain that we are not getting past PSV over two legs.
I just can’t wait for May to come now because the season is over.
Arteta should just run down the remaining 2 – 3 years he has left on his contract and Kroenke dare not renew it if he does not give us a trophy in that time.
Unless Arteta failed to secure ECL football he won’t be sacked. I have said this multiple times. From a purely business perspective he is doing a good job. The club *appears* successful, there is European football each year, so plenty of ticket sales and TV revenue. There is no way they will sack him just because he doesn’t win any trophies.
Trophies cannot be guaranteed and the Kroenkes don’t care about the fans as demonstrates by the ludicrous ticket prices and availability, whereas being just good enough to maintain your business model is eminently more achievable with a sizeable initial upfront expense and ongoing minimal yearly expenditure (relatively).
This is the club the Kroenkes want. They have spent a lot of money yes, but that got them into the marketplace. Now it’s just about staying there. So they will spend what they have to spend to protect their investment and not a dollar more. This is what happens when you run a club like a business: you get a business. There is no soul to the industry anymore. Clubs and players alike a just moveable pieces with zero personality.
That’s a miserable assessment Ben but sadly one I agree with
I think persisting with this notion that there is some sort of title race still ongoing in somewhat misguided. Man It’s are more likely to get relegated than Arsenal are to win the Premier League this season. Whilst both are mathematically still possible, neither is particularly likely. So let’s just stop with the delusional notion that there is any sort of context remaining. We blew. Again. At least this time we were never really in it.
He should try this selection for the upcoming matches.
Trossard.
Tierney. Odegaard. Nwaneri.
Rice. Partey.
Calafiori. Gabriel. Saliba. White.
Raya.
He could. But he won’t. He could change to a back 5 and use Tierney as a marauding wingback but he won’t. He could use Zinchenko as an extra creative element in midfield but he won’t. He could try playing Declan Rice and Merino as 2 big men upfront but he won’t.
He will play exactly the same team, or as close to it as he can, and exactly the same tactics forever until we die or he is sacked. I should have stuck by my views on Arteta from a few years ago. I have never been a fan but I forced myself to recognise the good job he has done in getting the club back to being close to the top of the table and therefore stop highlighting his awful style of football and micromanagement.
This is it, ladies and gentlemen. This is the club until he goes. We will be just good enough, because he is good enough at coaching defense, and has at least employed good defenders, to ensure we win more than we lose, but it won’t get better. He was a rank average player, so no reason to expect more from him as a manager.
Ben
I agree about your comments regarding Arteta’s setup and tactics.
If he refuses to adapt and evolve after all these injuries, he likely never will. Same setup, same tactics, same everything down the right side, only a different combination of players.
Sadly, even if we get Isak as striker, I doubt anything will change. We won’t play through the middle and capitalize on Isak’s strengths. We will continue everything down the right through Odegaard and Saka, and Isak will spend too much energy defensively pressing and chasing shadows.
IMHO we need a director of football to come in and set the agenda. Whether filling positions in the squad, forcing the sale of players like Jesus, or ensuring we have a balanced squad rather than 4 LB’s and 4 DM’s.
Arteta should focus on the day to day of the first team, and what players he needs. Perhaps changing his tactics, which cost the club nothing, rather than spending tens of millions more on players.
Trossard.
Tierney. Odegaard. Nwaneri.
Rice. Partey.
Skelly. Gabriel. Saliba. White.
Raya.
I actually was wondering what this manager tells the boys. For 90minPLUS, all the players performed the same level, the same energy, the same decision. THAT they went for half-time talk didn’t show the manager saw the need to change tactics. If managers are hired short-time, the WHU manager should handle Arsenal for some game with immediate effect. He did a perfect homework, because he knew Arteta would not respond, having already micromanage how each player was to play.
Stop this safety at all costs keep ball, slow deliberate boring back passing negative non productive football. Go for it, we have nothing to lose because we have all ready lost it. We can’t win the league we can lose top 4 playing like we are.
Because our safety at all costs football is not productive or safe.
Nothing can be done this season. But idk… maybe sort out the sporting director stuff yesterday so we can actually be proactive in the market for once. But we can all expect a Zubimendi & Sesko saga to drag on for probably the entire summer and we’ll be left short somewhere. Because I dont think I can even remember the last time Arsenal went into a season after hitting all our transfer targets and filling in all the positions we need to. We NEVER complete the business and it always comes back to bite us.
My preferred line up against Nottingham Forest –
Trossard.
Tierney. Odegaard. Nwaneri.
Rice. Partey.
Timber. Gabriel. Saliba. White.
Raya.
The best we can wish for is to hang on to second spot, as I doubt that Liverpool will drop many points, and the Champions League also looks out of reach. I’m hoping to see if any academy youngsters get time with the main squad during these final games, to at least give some hope for the future
I doubt Arteta will look to youth too much, Jax. Main reason being is because of his stubbornness to change. He’s likely to stick to experience even though there are more options in the youth department. But hey, that’s Arteta. Not one to change..
Just go for it
Annous
Trossard odegaard nwaneri
Rice Partey
Cala Gabriel Saliba Timber
Raya
Period
Seriously, it won’t be a bad idea if Arteta tries out a couple more players from our youth ranks. Mainly the attackers among them.
We don’t have much to lose at this point.
If not anything, it’ll create more options for the coming season.
But Arteta being who he is, will surely stick to the same thing that got us here in the first place.
Thats out of Artetas confort zone.