Arsenal’s nightmare Premier League restart has left their European ambitions hanging by a thread, but what can Mikel Arteta and his side do to turn their form around. The Gooner Fanzine’s Dan Mountney takes a look at the four things the Gunners boss can do to turn things around.
Leadership
Arteta must find someone within the dressing room to step up and take on a leadership role to avoid sliding down the table, and then address the issue with smart recruitment in the summer.
For more than a decade, Arsenal’s lack of leadership has cost them dearly and it’s something Arteta must address if he wants to see his side improve.
Senior professionals such as David Luiz should be one of the dressing room leaders but the error-prone Brazilian is one of very few experienced members of the squad.
If the club can find any leaders half as good as Frank McLintock, Tony Adams and Patrick Vieira, they will take a big step towards a successful future.
Game management
One of the few criticisms of Arteta’s reign so far has been poor game management.
Saturday’s defeat to Brighton can be added to a list of games such as the home defeats to Chelsea and Olympiakos that the Gunners have let slip far too easily from winning positions.
Arsenal must find a way to control games they are winning and avoid costly errors to resurrect their form. If they continue to lose concentration and throw away points, we could see an alarming slide down the table.
Toughen up
As is far too often the case, Brighton were able to bully Arsenal into defeat.
Physical and robust play was enough to unnerve the Gunners and peg them back, with the Seagulls proving Arteta’s side are just a fragile as the Emery and Wenger teams that have come before.
Arsenal must find a way to toughen up, go into the trenches and win or withstand battles against teams who are willing to give everything they’ve got.
Unleash Martinelli
Gabriel Martinelli has been a sensation in his first season in England, but the young Brazilian is yet to be seen since the Premier League’s restart.
The 19-year-old has scored 10 goals in all competitions so far and his direct, yet unpredictable play makes him a handful for any defence.
Arsenal fans have been crying out for the former Ituano man to start more games, and his inclusion could give the Gunners a much-needed spark.