Nearly 3 months ago, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang said when he signed his big contract: “I need an Arsenal legend.
He has scored a goal in the English Premier League ever since, in the penalties.
Mesut Ozil, supposedly the only player who makes more money than Aubameyang at the club, spends more time in social media matches than on the field. A few weeks ago, in Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with leeds promoted, he had an argument on Twitter with TV presenter Piers Morgan.
Nicolas Pepe, the team’s top expensive signing with 72 million pounds ($87 million), has started two league games this season and was sent off by a blow to the head at the time of playing them.
There is also rookie coach Mikel Arteta, who oversaw Arsenal’s worst Premier League beginnings. A year after the start of his first senior training position, he has his team in a kind of identity crisis.
Oh, and there’s even worse news for Arsenal in what fits into a season for a declining force of the English game: their biggest rival surely steals.
The first derby of the season in north London arrives on Sunday with Tottenham and Arsenal in many other situations.
While Tottenham leads the league after 10 games for the first time since 1985, Arsenal languished at number 14 and at their lowest position at this level in a season since 1981.
It is a contrast to the start of the league, in which Arsenal reached the top after winning the FA Cup final against Chelsea and then beating Liverpool at the Community Shield in late August.
Even on 1 November, Arsenal were in the process of achieving a 1-0 win at Manchester United, something some noticed as a turning point for Arteta’s team.
But all that positivity is gone.
In the last six league games, Arsenal have scored two: an Aubameyang penalty against United and a head of central defender Gabriel in a corner in last weekend’s 2–1 home defeat to the Wolves.
The groups with fewer goals than Arsenal’s 10 are the 3 lately in relegation zone.
Arsenal’s purpose is -2.
“There are no excuses, we want to improve,” Arteta said.
A match against Tottenham is the ideal time for Arsenal to relance their attack, looking like Jose Mourinho with the league’s tightest defence with only nine goals conceded after consecutive blank goals against Manchester City and Chelsea.
Mourinho has long had a reputation for being a pragmatist and, in his first 12 months in the board’s most sensible, Arteta may well be the same.
Arsenal’s defence ranking Arteta’s precedence after replacing Unai Emery in November last year and has largely controlled to do so, with only five groups giving fewer league goals than Arsenal 12, but comes at a cost.
Arsenal may not be more entrepreneurial and look like the former under Arséne Wenger, cautiously and more than the mantras of Arteta’s tenure so far. Ozil and Aubameyang were among those who paid the price, with two of the league’s tops. Players who temporarily fit in with the forgotten men of English football.
Ozil hasn’t even been included in Arsenal’s Premier League squad for the season (the former German player no longer fits Arteta’s formula) and remains applicable with the team’s ostentation on Twitter on fit days. His contract expires at the end of the season. , he probably played his last game for the club.
Aubameyang, meanwhile, has two goals in the league and has only had eight shots framed so far. Arteta fails to make the most of one of the world’s most damaging strikers, Aubameyang’s recent move from the left wing to a center forward position is working.
As for Pepe and Alexandre Lacazette, some other striker bought at a wonderful price from French football, they will have to wonder where their long-term career is, as they spend most of their time in the bank.
A key challenge is the lack of creativity in the middle camp, Arteta goes with two defensive players in this branch and without the number 10.
There was a time when Wenger accused of having too many game creators in his groups, think of Cesc Fábregas, Samir Nasri, Tomas Rosicky, Alexander Hleb and Santi Cazorla, but it couldn’t be lower Arteta.
With Ozil banned, Willian is the ultimate artistic player available to Arteta, but the Brazilian has prided himself on cheating since joining a loose play in the off-season.
Not long ago, Arteta was hailed as one of the world’s brightest young coaches, someone around whom Arsenal could build their future. Now he’s being criticized.
Beating Tottenham this weekend would have temporarily reversed the trend.
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Steve Douglas is in https://twitter. com/sdouglas80