Arsenal have been slammed for going backwards and becoming dull to watch under Mikel Arteta, with journalist John Cross slamming the team after yesterday’s defeat to Manchester United.
The Gunners drew 1-1 with the Red Devils but lost on penalties as they were dumped out of the FA Cup third round at the Emirates Stadium, missing out once again on an opportunity to win some silverware.
This result also followed the 2-0 defeat at home to Newcastle in midweek, which leaves Arsenal’s Carabao Cup hopes hanging by a thread as they now need to go to St James’ Park with a mountain to climb for the second leg.
See below as the Mirror’s John Cross lays into Arsenal’s poor work in the transfer market that has contributed to this decline this season, singling out the injury-prone Riccardo Calafiori and the underwhelming Mikel Merino…
Arsenal were such fun to watch for two seasons. Then last summer they signed a workmanlike midfielder and a left back who has been injury-prone. They’ve gone backwards. Arteta has made it all about control rather than flair and excitement. And it’s dull and not working.
— John Cross (@johncrossmirror) January 12, 2025
This will resonate with some Arsenal fans, but at the same time it’s perhaps unfair to ignore the injuries the team has had to contend with this season.
While the club’s summer window could undoubtedly have been better, it’s also likely that they wouldn’t be struggling as much right now if Bukayo Saka, Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori and Ethan Nwaneri were fit and available.
What next for Arsenal?
There’s surely still some hope for Arsenal in the weeks and months ahead, as they remain in contention, albeit as outsiders, in both the Premier League and the Champions League.
The north London giants take on rivals Tottenham next and will surely be the favourites to win that one, as Spurs haven’t been in particularly great form recently either.
Still, there’s also clearly potential for this to go very wrong, so fans will be hoping signings can be made between now and the end of January in a bid to save the season.
If Arteta drops more points because of his stubbornness to acknowledge that Havertz should not be Arsenal’s main striker then he should be sacked!
Arsenal has had one goal from the last 49 shots and that was from Gabriel a defender.
Havertz is not a natural number 9 that can score on instinct against the competitive or park the bus teams.
I’ve been saying this for a long time: Arteta is draging the club into buying wrong players for him. He hates attackers that take control of the front line. No single striker has scored 20 Premier league goals since Arteta came in! Players like Kiwior, Lokonga, Vieira, Trossard, Gabriel Jesus and Merino are not the kind of purchases we need.
We must be thinking of another coach by now.
Hurrah. I’m reading my first scientific analysis of Arsenal. My belief is that buying of any player should be the prerogative of a body of judges in which the head coach has no control over. If a coach needs a new player all that he need do is to provide the the guide/statistics to the judges. Hereafter, the scouts will provide the short list to the coach to choose from. But as at now, one can only see the old, discards and has-beens from big teams and injury prone vomits littered about Arsenal. This must stop if we desire positive results. Opinion personal, of course.
arteta has come to the end of his cycle..he had a shot at winning the title 2yrs running but his losing pedigree has been exposed..board must call it a day with him, plenty of world class managers out there,john cross must start flagging up that arsenal need a ne manager
Totally agree with all the comments here. What a stubborn coach that has pride and doesn’t listen and dislikes the progress of his team and happiness of fans.
The role of every position ( Defence, Midfield and Forward) is stated out but we have never had a Real Forward since 5 years now and you say Arteta and the board are serious.?
Arteta’s new style is to complain, never see any fault or room for improvement but rather suffering the players by not getting them and attacker and praising them for doing rubbish. Stay humble Mikel Arteta