Arteta’s Inexperience May Cost Arsenal

Arsenal’s heavy 4-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday night only goes to show that Mikel Arteta lacks the experience to make vital personnel decisions, that could help Arsenal out of their current slump.

A win against his fellow countryman and mentor, Pep Guardiola would have helped galvanize needed confidence ahead of their Premier League fixture against Chelsea.  

Unfortunately, the defeat to City only means more confidence lost. The fans and players must begin to wonder if Arteta actually knows what he’s doing. And rumours of dressing-room unrest circulate in the media.

Winless Run 

The stats are grim for Arteta. Arsenal is yet to win a single Premier League match since their famous 1-0 victory at Manchester United in November; a run that has seen them lost five games and only managed two draws.

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Arsenal’s Lack of Creativity 

It does however appear that the hallmark of how Arsenal plays is missing. This singular factor makes them one of the most entertaining football clubs to watch. But it is now the biggest issue with Arteta’s Arsenal. 

Who would have thought that a Guardiola apprentice who also trained and played under Arsene Wenger, could be clueless in setting up his team to play free-flowing, attacking football?

Relegation Fear 

Many rival fans have been throwing banter around social media, about Arsenal being in a regulation battle. But relegation becomes a genuine concern only if Arsenal drops points against Chelsea at the Emirates on Saturday.

Arteta’s team currently sits four points above the relegation places. And they will be dragged into the relegation fight if they fail to win against Chelsea on Saturday.

If Arsenal fails to win this weekend and any of Burnley, Brighton, or Fulham win their respective matches, Arsenal will be in big trouble says Mikel Arteta during his post-match interview after the Manchester City loss.

How Long Can Arsenal Persevere?

It is quite obvious that the Arsenal board knew they were hiring an inexperienced manager when they brought in Mikel Arteta to replace Unai Emery last year.

However, the results that led to Emery’s sack weren’t as bad as the one Arteta is currently delivering. But the owners may be willing to offer Arteta more time to turn things around, for two main reasons:

1. He’s an ex-player and former club captain
2. He won two trophies not long ago after surpassing expectations whilst tactically setting up his team and astutely beating big rivals in the process.

How long a big club like Arsenal continues to persevere with so many losses is a difficult question to answer. The owners’ patience will be tested in the new year unless results improve.

Arsenal are a traditionally top 6 team but are currently languishing in the bottom 6. Arteta should count himself lucky, if he’s still in charge by the end of January and has not yet turned things around.