By: Daniel Echoda
After yet another heart-wrenching loss to Manchester City on Saturday, many Arsenal fans seem to have the opinion that there would be improvement for the Gunners in their next couple of matches. But for the loss to the newly promoted Brentford Football Club, most Arsenal fans are of the opinion that a loss to Chelsea and Manchester City did not come as a surprise, specifically given the fact that a number of key Arsenal players were not available for selection during these matches, and they were a difficult side.
With Thomas Partéy expected to be back for their next games, and Gabriel (Magalhaes) already taking part in training and featuring in the U-23 Gunners’ win in Premier League 2 against Tottenham Hotspur U-23 on Friday, a day before the match at Etihad, the Gunners could finally breathe fresh air in the coming days. Like Ben White, Nicola Pepe, for instance, was not available for their last match because he “was feeling unwell,” a phrase that also defines the current state of the club, things could be different for Arsenal when they have a complete squad – and they might soon be back and firing again.
With 3 matches played, 3 lost and 0 goals scored, Arsenal fans are not being treated fairly. It would be quite hasty to conclude that a particular person or factor is responsible for the Arsenal situation. For who exactly is to blame? The players? Mikel Arteta, the Coach? Stan Kroenke, their owner? Whereas some fans of the club are of the view that the fault lies with Mikel Arteta’s tactics and choice of players for matches, there are others who strongly believe that their owner is to blame for not willing to spend money on big players like Chelsea’s Roman Abramovich.
Apparently, as one of the Big Six, the only thing that is big about Arsenal at the moment is their history. How things gradually went from bad to worse with the club that was once described as “the Invincibles” for the record of the most unbeaten run in the League, remains a mystery.
What should we look out for in Arsenal in the next couple of days and the rest of the season? Will Mikel Arteta get sacked or the Arsenal board will “trust the process” and give him more time to turn things around? Will Stan Kroenke finally succumb to give up the club to Daniel Ek, the CEO of Spotify, or the Al-Thari, the Qatari royal family who are recently rumoured to have vowed to submit a mammoth offer that the Kroenkes cannot reject? Or, is this the season that Arsenal will get relegated for the first time in their history? Whatever the case may be, the fact remains that there are interesting days ahead for the gunners!
