How does Mikel Arteta shake Arsenal out of their current funk?

 

It has been a jarring month for Arsenal.  

 

The Gunners sat top of the table on Christmas Day but are now fourth in the Premier League after back-to-back defeats in the English top-flight. Mikel Arteta’s side are also out of the FA Cup following a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at the Emirates.  

 

Arsenal have won just one of their last seven matches across all competitions and that Mesut Ozil Tweet has aged terribly. They are currently winless in four and have lost three consecutive games. They aren’t exactly in crisis but Arteta is, once again, being scrutinised.  

 

How much of this poor run of form is down to the manager though?  

 

Yes, the Gunners have conceded two in each of their last three outings and they’ve been breached on nine occasions in their last seven matches, scoring just five goals. But their underlying numbers are considerably better.  

 

For example, Arsenal have an Expected Goals total of 6.02 across their three recent defeats but have managed to score just one goal. Players not being able to convert chances isn’t the fault of the manager, is it? In truth, the Gunners have done more than enough to win all three of those games, at least from an attacking point of view. Defensively, they have been fairly robust as a unit. Fulham, West Ham and Liverpool have amassed a collective Expected Goals total of just 3.3 while managing to land just 10 efforts on target. Arsenal have conceded six goals though. Average it out and Arteta’s men have an xG of two and an xG Against of 1.1 in those three defeats.  

 

It is very much a case of bad luck rather than bad management, right?  

 

But then the misfiring attack was assembled by Arteta. Finishing can be fickle and historical data cannot, and should not, be used to predict the future, but Kai Havertz has significantly underperformed his Expected Goal numbers for the past three seasons while Gabriel Jesus is famed for spurning chances. The former Manchester City forward has underperformed against his underlying numbers ever since moving to England.  

 

If you load your attack up with streaky finishers, you have to expect these sorts of games. It is a consequence of signing these guys.  

 

 

Combine that with the fact Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are still young attackers learning their craft and it is easy to understand why Arsenal are finding it difficult to convert their opportunities this season. Attackers in their formative years go through hot and cold periods. Last season, the No.7 and No.11 were running hot. This season they’re running cold. It wouldn’t have been as much of an issue had Arsenal signed reliable goalscorers rather than Havertz and Jesus.  

 

So, on one hand, it is out of his control, on the other hand though, he knew what he was signing.  

 

There are also question marks over his use of some players, in particular Saka. The 22-year-old has just one goal involvement in his last six appearances and he didn’t look particularly effective against Joe Gomez in the loss to Liverpool. He had a few opportunities but just couldn’t make the most of them, and this has been a bit of a theme over recent weeks.  

 

Some claim he’s tired, others think he’s carrying a knock and playing due to Arsenal not having any cover for him. The England international might need a bit of a break to get back to his devastating best. He has played 95% of matches for the Gunners since 2021/22.  

 

Arteta needs to manage the right-wing talent a little better. He also needs to solve the Havertz conundrum. The German has spent the majority of time for Arsenal in midfield but looked a real threat against Liverpool as a centre-forward. Will the manager persist with the centre-midfield experiment or will he use the versatile attacker in the final third?  

 

This is a question that should’ve been definitively answered before the 2023/24 campaign kicked off. Instead, we’re having this conversation in January, with Arsenal’s season threatening to come to a premature end unless they manage to get things back on track. It isn’t make-or-break for Arteta but the more frequently this happens, the more he’s going to be scrutinised.  

 

The Arsenal squad was pieced together by him. A lot of money has been invested and expectations have been raised. Arteta needs to show he can execute a plan rather than simply talking the talk.

How does Mikel Arteta shake Arsenal out of their current funk?