Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has admitted to being worried about his side’s toothlessness in front of the goal.
The Gunners, who drew a blank in their last game against Leeds following an early second-half red-card to Nicolas Pepe remain 11th in the table after nine games.
Sunday’s draw at Elland Road was the fourth time in the last five Premier League games where Arsenal has failed to hit the back of the net.
Arsenal’s goal this season is to finish inside the top four after winning the FA Cup in the last campaign.
They have also invested in their team in the last transfer window, and fans expect them to have a good season.
But this current form cannot even get them into the top six, and Arteta knows that they have to start scoring goals, else they will not achieve their objectives.
He made this admission while speaking after the game.
‘It worries me obviously because we need goals and we need a lot of goals to win football matches and to be the top team that we want to be – without that it’s impossible,’ he said after the game as quoted by Daily Mail.
‘It doesn’t matter how good we are defensively. It’s not a lack of attacking players that we have, because we have attacking players on the pitch all the time, but we need some moments where we have to make decisions earlier, better and they have to be more ruthless.
‘But it’s the most difficult thing in football and sometimes we go through these patches and we have to overcome them and I have to help the players to do it as quick as possible.’
Well Mikel, far be it for me to try and teach you how to manage, but I would like to ask you this simple question :
Why did we not have this problem in the nine game unbeaten run from January until the corona virus lockdown?
Wingbacks Ken we played with Wingbacks and focused attacking from the wings.
I find it surprising that people complain about lack of creativity when it’s been the same set of midfielders we’ve had since under Emery, apart from Partey.
Now we hardly play from the wings anyway, it’s why we struggle.
Our midfielders can’t pick a perfect pass.
Now when with the ball we attack and play with 4-3-3 unlike before when It was 3-4-3.
Our defenders are focused more on defending now, it’s surprising a whole lot of fans haven’t noticed.
The problem is our midfielders failed to improve their creativity, and the wingers are all in bad form.
Pepe and Willian
Ken1945 plz let the player whose love for football was subbed for farming, let ozil be, he is better off with fortnite.
Or ask yourself how come we were banging goals, won double silverware without the “so called engine of creativity” in the middle of the park?
Every team do have their fair share of slump, city is having a nightmare as i type this and as you read it, united is neither here nor there, tothenham is flying at the moment, as i said “at the momen” , chelsea’s expenditures are paying off slowly but still not there, liverpool is still the iron team to beat to have a feel of the title, leicester is still a cinderilla.
We are in a slump and fans need to get behind the only team they love rather than rediculing her and her coach who by the way have made us competitive
A gentle and thoughtful response
Mish, so why aren’t we doing it now – scoring goals, winning matches and playing attractive football?
That was my original question and you haven’t answered it?
Doesn’t mean I’m not supporting or ridiculing the club I love, rather it shows my concern for it.
Eddie has given his thoughts as to why, so what are yours?
👍 Exactly, why aren’t we??
We’ve had more than our fair share of slumps over the last few seasons, or even longer! Was not expecting another one so soon….
When you shackle your players and make them play like robots, unless you have the right robots, you fail. Players (all of them) that used to play well are suddenly inapt to make a simple pass. Like Ken said we were improving during the nine game unbeaten run from January till the lockdown but MA decided to be a genius and changed everything over night. Imagine playing under the old system with the additions of Parte, Gabriel and even Willian with Ozil as the provider. We will be hard to beat. MA not knowing how to fix his scoring problem is dishonest. All he has to do is reverse course before he looses the locker room.
I would tend to agree with you. We won 10 out of 14 playing a 4-2-3-1 if my memory is correct, but since MA shifted formations and has 11 players in our half of the pitch we struggle.
We are slow & deliberate passing, and static positioning waiting for the ball to be played to their feet. Watching us attacking is akin to watching sand drain from an hour glass.
No mystery here, watch the buildup and you have your answer.
I think we dont make nathing from tha center same one like ozil.
The team is dead from within… they are tired of having Ozil treated in this way. Well done Arteta. I did not think that you would be worse than the previous “coach”. But, you are. Worse, because you are caught up with your ego, trying to discipline players and then not play Ozil as the owners said no. What a shambles! Bring back Wenger and give him these defenders to shore up the back line. Then Wenger can let his attackers attack.
Now we are sitting ducks. Two more losses and we will be in the bottom third of the EPL.
Why did Wenger not get the defenders himself if that was what he needed ?!!
It’s time to unleash Emile Smith Rowe. I have a feeling that he could be our own Jack Grealish
Hopefully starting Thursday! 3 goals in the last 2 games for the U23s…..at least he’s scoring!!
It’s all Arteta’s fault. The type of football we are playing is horrendous. Just boring, negativity and no direction.
Better sort it out or knives are going to be out in no time.
They’re already out!
Get Szoboszlai or Aouar asap in January. This team lacks creativity, our midfielders cannot consistently complete a set of passes and except Saka, our wingers are totally out of form. Alarm bells are ringing and MA should take decisive action asap or else forget top 4, top 6, we will be lucky not to be relegated. And to think of the worst, the Spuds are on top of the table.
And imagine if Saka is out for a while?!! ☹ Talk about going from bad to worse!!
MA should start using AMN Rowe Nketiah & Nelson than the useless fowards we have now!!¤
I don’t think any other player would drastically change our fortunes. Our forwards seem to have an offday everyday, and midfielders can’t play as well and always shift back. It is taking forever to acclimatize with new formations and such. Even if MA completely changes the team, we are more likely to lose now. God help us from this mess!