Mikel Arteta Could Have Made Better Use Of Arsenal’s Squad In Premier League Title Race

Having led the Premier
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League table for the majority of the season, Arsenal now find themselves holding on for dear life in the title race as Manchester City build more and more speed. City’s 4-1 demolition of the Gunners on Wednesday made clear just how decisively the momentum has swung towards them in recent weeks.

Arsenal were never able to find their passing or passing rhythm against the defending Premier League champions. Manchester City suffocated them and performed at a level Arsenal were unable to reach. As good as City were, though, the Gunners were loose. They played well within themselves.

This low performance level raised questions over the way Mikel Arteta has utilised the Arsenal squad over the course of the season. The Gunners were extremely inaccurate in a lot of their play at the Etihad Stadium. It’s possible fatigue was a factor in this, affecting the concentration and sharpness of the players.

Against Manchester City, Oleksandr Zinchenko was deployed at left back in an orthodox back four when Kieran Tierney surely would have been more comfortable in that role. Leandro Trossard was introduced in the second half, when the match was already finished as a contest, when many fans believed the Belgian should have started.

Jorginho is another who featured off the bench for Arsenal. Few would have argued that the Italian should have started against City, but he has started just four league matches since arriving at the Emirates Stadium from Chelsea in January. Arteta could have rotated his midfield more regularly to keep his best players fresh for the matches that truly matter.

“I can’t follow the stats because the stats at the start of the season said we would be sixth or seventh,” Arteta said after the loss to City, referencing how statistics now favour Arsenal’s rivals in the title race. Indeed, Manchester City now appear likely to win a fifth Premier League title in six seasons.

“We are where we are with five games to go and those players deserve a lot of credit to be nine-and-a-half months against this team being where we are and there are still five games to play. I have been in this country almost 22 years and I know how much it shifts game-to-game.”

Arsenal can’t claim to have the level of depth Manchester City have, but they have more than Arteta has shown in the second half of the season. The likes of Tierney, Jorginho, Fabio Vieira, Eddie Nketiah and even Reiss Nelson could have had a greater say on the outcome of the Gunners’ title race.