Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, might find comfort about his team’s lacking discipline this season by reflecting on the time of Arsène Wenger. Wenger, a French football manager notable for his innovative approach to player fitness and nutrition, turned 75 this week. Although he’s known for terminating the notorious Tuesday drinking club, his victorious seasons in three Premier League titles featured at least three Arsenal players receiving red cards, maintaining the robust spirit affiliated with the championship teams of George Graham.
Martin Keown’s dismissal on September 29th, 2001, against Derby following two yellow cards was a notable event in the seventh game of the league campaign. Currently, Arteta’s squad isn’t trailing this record by far – William Saliba’s ejection in the recent Bournemouth game during their eighth league fixture has kept their pattern of losing points only when down to 10 players.
Arsenal has been handed 18 red cards in the Premier League since Arteta took over the helm on December 26, 2019 – a figure exceeding that of any other team by at least five. This fact became more relevant as they prepare for Sunday’s home game against Liverpool without Saliba’s presence.
Presently lagging in the league table by four points behind Arne Slot’s side, Arsenal cannot afford to lose the upcoming match. Arteta expressed his dismay about the effect of Saliba’s expulsion during the Bournemouth game and confessed before the challenging 1-0 triumph against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday that he’s uncertain how to control his team’s recurring issue. Arteta suggested, it might be best to avoid discussing it.
Arsenal’s eagerness to capture the victory, following two consecutive seasons of ranking second to Manchester City, isn’t only undermined by their poor discipline. The only home league game they have won decidedly was against Wolves on the opening day. Their performances were subpar in other games too, like Brighton, Leicester, and Southampton, with the latter two requiring last-minute goals. Additionally, due to an ankle injury, the unavailability of team captain Martin Ødegaard further exposed the lack of inventiveness in their midfield.
Bukayo Saka, a constant presence from 2020 to 2022 and having missed merely three league games last season, could make a return from a hamstring injury to tackle a team who have triumphed in all six away games in this season’s various contests. If Arteta’s squad can secure a victory against Liverpool, they would be back on their feet. Arteta is aware that repeating past errors is a luxury they can’t afford. In 2002, Wenger’s double-victorious team accumulated six red cards in a season, a feat unmatched since Leicester’s 2016 championship year, where any club finishing at the top recorded no more than two.
There’s another comparison to Wenger that Arteta might not appreciate. Twenty years ago, the so-called Battle of the Buffet took place, marking the end of Arsenal’s 49-match unbeaten stretch at the hands of Manchester United at Old Trafford. The after-effects of the heated confrontation, which included Arsenal’s Cesc Fàbregas hurling a pizza at United’s manager Alex Ferguson, were still apparent three months later at a Highbury showdown. Arsenal ended that season 12 points behind Chelsea, shifting the power to west London.
Arteta might need to heed José Mourinho’s 2007 critical evaluation of Wenger’s inability to duplicate Arsenal’s last league title win three years prior. Despite Arsenal boasting one of the youngest squads in the league, with an average age of 25.6, there’s a shared sentiment among supporters that the probable absence of City’s midfield ace, Rodri, for the remainder of the season might present the best opportunity to terminate the club’s title drought.
In terms of potential changes in competitive dynamics, the possibility of this being Pep Guardiola’s last season at the helm of their fiercest rivals must not be overlooked. In light of recent advances, Arsenal could position themselves as formidable contenders to dethrone City if Guardiola departs.
At present, Arteta is presented with a tough choice: finding a solution to fill the void in central defence exacerbated by Saliba’s suspension. There’s a strong likelihood of Ben White shifting from right-back, notwithstanding his removal at half-time in the Shakhtar game due to a booking. “In recent times, we’ve had to make do with 10 players too often,” Arteta observed.
It’s a troubling observation that Arsenal have let in two goals in three of their last four league outings, a blow to their once-impenetrable defence. This follows them only doing so twice in their preceding 22 matches. This surviving defence team will be on high alert against a Liverpool side boasting 11 wins in their 12 games this season.
Arteta expressed an unwavering confidence in his team before their pre-season game against United in the US tour. He confessed that the only surefire way to secure the league title is winning all 38 matches. This sentiment, while notably ambitious, seems particularly improbable considering they were just one point shy of their club’s record points tally from the unbeaten 2003-04 season. Regardless, there is a compelling drive within Arsenal to demonstrate their commitment to the campaign, particularly after being proverbially swept aside by Bournemouth. – Guardian