Arsenal board needs to be strong this summer as Arteta's men collapse to out of form Seagulls

Arsenal 1 Brighton 2 
Premier League 
Saturday 9th April 2022  3pm   

Really, it should not have come as a surprise. Without a recognized goalscorer, such a thin squad it was always going to be wing and a prayer stuff, and with three points and a solitary goal from their last four matches, it looks inevitable that Arsenal are now realistically looking at whether or not they can halt their decline enough to just qualify for European competition of some form next season. With matches against Chelsea, Manchester United, West Ham and Spurs to come, you can certainly forget fourth place. Arsenal cannot even beat Brighton at home. The ‘project’ has been badly exposed in the last two games. The run of undefeated matches propelled Mikel Arteta’s team into fourth place, but I couldn’t last, undone by injuries, the inexperience of too much youth and the inescapable reality that the two centre-forwards on Arsenal’s books are invariably incapable of scoring goals. Whatever happened with Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, he seems to be managing to hit the back of the net for Barcelona. It feels unfortunate that the manager was not able to get the same return in the first half of the season from a striker that has evidently not lost his ability to find the target. 

Brighton have become a bit of a bogey team for Arsenal. Since their promotion to the Premier League, the Seagulls have now played Arsenal ten times, registering four wins and three draws. So yesterday’s result wasn’t entirely unexpected. The fact that Brighton’s last seven games had seen six defeats and a draw felt like an irrelevance.

There really isn’t much to say aside from the fact that Arsenal were nullified too easily, and not one player can really say they gave their all. The Gunners’ display felt lacklustre and unimaginative, and was for the most part a frustrating watch. Xhaka was played at left back with Lokonga and Odegaard occasionally supported by Smith Rowe in the central midfield, and it never really gelled. Pre-game the thought was that Saka would start on the left side of defence, with Xhaka’s experience of greater value in the middle. Arteta had other plans, presumably in the belief that Brighton would be cautious and settle for a point.

They were certainly organized and motivated, winning a lot of challenges and seeming a little more fired up. Arsenal’s goal threat looked minimal – a Gabriel header from a free kick their best early opportunity, whilst Brighton made the most of the decent chances that were created in the build up to their two goals. The lack of an orthodox Gunners left back certainly played a part in the opposition’s opening goal. The hope of some relief at one down just before the interval when Martinelli headed in was foiled by VAR. I had to watch ‘Match of the Day’ to understand why it took so long to give the decision at Stockley Park. It seems there was uncertainty over who actually headed the ball back across goal – and it was determined not to be a Brighton player, so the goal was struck off and the majority of those at the Emirates felt as deflated as the home side had looked for much of the game up to that point. 

The other Brighton goal came halfway through the second half, and you felt that was that, just going by the lack of cohesion in Arsenal’s play. Odegaard had a poor game defensively, and has rarely done well when played deeper than the number 10 position he takes when everyone is fit. He did hit the crossbar with a late free-kick and as the clock was winding down gave hope of a draw with a shot that looped into the top corner. But it was too little too late, and with Arsenal’s fixtures for the rest of the season, this game felt like a must-win. The trio of matches against Palace, Brighton and Southampton offered the chance to keep the top four challenge on track before a tough run of games which – without Tierney, Partey or a reliable striker – now look ominous. The match at the Lane on May 12th – which a week ago had the look of a potential Champions League place decider, now looks academic.

It was always a worry that when Spurs appointed Antonio Conte, they would finally get sorted out as a side that could consistently achieve results – and that is certainly happening now. Their run-in looks like an opportunity to rack up the points, and they look like a train disappearing over the horizon after their result at Villa. Mikel Arteta had a lot in his favour this season, but on the assumption that he does not return the club to Champions League football, you really need to ask if the ‘project’ might gain further traction with a more experienced head calling the shots. He may have changed the club culture for the better – which is no bad thing – but tactically, there doesn’t seem to be too much in the way of solutions when things are not working. 

Arsenal should be beating teams like Brighton at home and should not be losing by three goals away to mid-table opposition. It was my view that Arteta should have gone last summer. The worry is that the board do not have the football experience to understand the club would be better calling time on the current manager this summer and trying someone who has a better track record. Arteta might get European football back – if only because seventh place is likely good enough to do that, barring Palace winning the FA Cup. But after last summer’s transfer splash and the luxury of only playing 46 matches all season, well, if he could not get the club into the top four in this campaign, is he really going to do any better in the future? Historically, Arsenal’s board has always left it too late to dismiss a manager when the writing is on the wall and plain for all to see. The decision not to replace Aubameyang in January now looks an expensive one.

If I feel the need to write the words that the team might have been better served playing Elneny is central midfield… well, things are definitely on the slide. The run of results that saw Arsenal rise to fourth place was laudable, but once there, you need to remain. I’m not optimistic to say the least.

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