Arsenal’s lack of commitment gets its just rewards at Goodison

 

Everton 2 Arsenal 1

Premier League

Saturday 19th December 2020, 5.30pm

In the ‘Match of the Day’ analysis of Arsenal’s performance in their defeat at Everton, the lack of hunger of too many of Mikel Arteta’s players to either run into space when their team was in possession, or close it down when they didn’t was damning. It told a story of a collection of players in the comfort bubble complacency zone that has existed at the club for well over a decade. 

Standards have slipped incrementally, almost unnoticeably over the short term. However, the last time Arsenal qualified for the Champions League was in 2016. Two FA Cup wins have done little to mask a general malaise which has not been addressed. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with Mikel Arteta’s tactics. They work for Pep Guardiola often enough. However, he is stuck with a ragtag bunch of well-rewarded players who have been on the metaphorical beach since the middle of October. 

Quite simply, too many can’t be bothered. A number of those currently nicking a living will depart next summer, and the noises from the club are that Arteta will be given more time to shape his own squad. Cries for his head are understandable, and the fact that as I write this, the result of the Brighton v Sheffield United match has significance for the team paints a sorry state of affairs.

The question that needs to be asked is whether or not a different manager could get more out of this group of players, and it is questionable, because it feels like simply too many of them don’t care anymore. Arteta swaps one set of underperforming players out for another who deliver the same result. I do imagine that Arteta is capable of delivering a rocket up the arse, but with players on so much money now, and contracts in their pockets, what is the worst that can happen? Ask Mesut Ozil. 

So what is required is a motivator, a coach that will get the players fired up enough to “leave it all out there on the pitch” as the saying goes. Where is the pride? Where is the passion? You’d feel that relegation is unlikely given the resources at Arteta’s disposal, but current form suggests otherwise. Arsenal are in deep trouble, and it feels now that we are simply at a stage of ensuring the club remain in the top flight as the rebuild of the squad is given the couple of seasons it will obviously require. And on that note, whoever sanctioned the three year deal for Willian surely needs to be relieved of their duties. Maybe they already have been. Raul Sanllehi departed on 15th August. Willian signed for the club the day before. Talk about a parting gift. Why Emile Smith Rowe is not starting ahead of the Brazilian by now is a mystery. What does Arteta think he is bringing to the team? 

He’s not the only one, but there is little point in going through a roll call of the slackers. The long and short of it is that since the summer of 2016, the club have spent a lot of money, and spent it badly. Arteta has picked up the mess. We cannot actually know whether he will make a decent coach until the personnel he has to work with is improved. The question is, can the club afford to wait to find out? 

As for yesterday, Aubameyang wasn’t risked due to injury concerns, Willian and Pepe lined up either side of Eddie Nketiah. At least Martinelli was on the bench to provide something different going forward, although he did little when he got a few minutes at the end of the game. Rob Holding was captain – presumably on the basis of being the longest serving player, but put the ball into his own goal when he deflected Calvert-Lewin’s header in. Holding should have been the other side of him, and of course Willian’s lack of interest meant that there was nothing to stop the cross coming in.

Pepe converted a penalty to level things up, but before the first half was over, the visitors were behind again, with Mina allowed a free run to head home from a corner. Yes David Luiz had a shot deflected onto the post in the second half, but not much is going for the Gunners these days. In fairness, they don’t deserve any luck with their current attitude. There was a great ball from Maitland-Niles across the face of the goal in second half injury time, but no-one to administer a finishing touch. There isn’t a lot of movement when it matters these days. Symbolic of the lack of the ability to move unwanted players off of the club’s wage bill.

Football can be made very simple if players are prepared to use space. But stagnation is the name of the game these days. That and a gradual sinking into the mud. Next two opponents are Manchester City in the League Cup and Chelsea on Boxing Day. Oh joy. Brighton on Tuesday week is now a six pointer. West Brom, Palace and Newcastle follow in the league along with an FA Cup trip to Newcastle. You can’t help but think that failure to garner at least eight points from the next five Premier League matches will mean patience with Arteta will run out in more significant places than the fanbase.

Maitland-Niles, Tierney and Saka were about the only bright spots yesterday. And it is definitely the younger players Arteta needs to look to now. Let’s see Smith Rowe and Balogun get some Premier League run-outs and hope Martinelli can play himself into form. 

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