Gunners Out of Ammunition?

March 13, 2020 A woman wearing a mask walks by the Emirates Stadium after manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for coronavirus and their Premier League match against Brighton on Saturday has been cancelled Action Images via Reuters

Just when we thought Covid-19 was the worst pandemic of 2020, Arsenal treated us to a disaster class at a truly empty Etihad.

There had been a sense of foreboding for Arsenal’s fans since the league’s resumption was announced. There was a sweet feeling as football returned with the clash of two titans, with an Aston Villa and Sheffield United match, that kicked off earlier, a fitting curtain raiser. But that Arsenal was going to suffer at the hands of Manchester City, who were to have Jesus in the starting line-up, was evident.

Just before the pandemic, Arsenal had won their last three matches but were still languishing in ninth position while an otherwise fluid Manchester City had fallen to city rivals United on the back of unconvincing wins against Leicester City and West Ham.

And in the restart, Pep Guardiola was slated to face his former assistant Mikel Arteta.

“We sent messages one hour and a half ago. It was about the wine we are going to drink if social distance allows it,” said the City gaffer ahead of kick-off, speaking about a possible post-match meeting with his former deputy.

But Arteta did not possibly share the enthusiasm even when referee Anthony Taylor blew the whistle to start the match.

Only 24 minutes in, Arsenal made their second substitution when centre back Pablo Marí Villar sustained a hamstring injury. On came David Luiz to lump more agony to an already struggling team.

Luiz lasted 25 minutes, within which time he conjured up a comical looped assist for Raheem Sterling and tackled Riyad Mahrez to the turf inside the area to earn himself a red card and gift City a second goal through a penalty.

“This is precisely why I wanted the season voided,” Piers Morgan tweeted as frustrations kicked in, a toothless Arsenal being mauled by Man City.

But Gary Neville reacted to Luiz’s sending off in a cheeky manner, tweeting: “Red card was a bit harsh on City.”

Post-match, while Luiz called the media and absolved his team of blame, claiming responsibility for his, and the team’s, lackluster showing, Arteta spoke about Arsenal’s obligation to “delete” the results from their minds and pick themselves up.

Arteta contracted, and survived, Covid-19 only to be put to the sword by the same man he so devotedly served under in Manchester.

Even as the Gunners’ fans defended their team after the red card claiming London was still red, Chelsea announced that Leipzig star, Timo Werner, had signed for the blues. And, immediately, fans enlisted him among key agents to lure Bayer Leverkusen wunderkind Kai Havertz to Chelsea. Out of the blue, Werner is blue.

Were it not for Bernd Leno, Arsenal’s shot stopper, City could have romped to a bigger victory, perhaps registering a basketball score on Wednesday night.

Closer home, diehard Arsenal fans painfully watched their team get walloped, a mediocre performance punished by a ruthless Guardiola machine, hopes of entering Europa League spots dealt a fierce blow.

“To be a Gunner is to have strength like you can't believe. You guys should be admiring us. We are so resilient. So loyal. So dedicated,” wrote ardent Arsenal supporter Carol Radull on her twitter account.

Arsenal next visit lowly Brighton and Hove Albion hoping to bounce back and register a win. With Luiz suspended, the Gunners will not have any excuses not to beat a Brighton team that had drawn four of their five matches before the break, losing the other.

In the Premier League era, Arsenal have taken home the EPL trophy thrice, last doing so in a 2003/04 season that saw the team go unbeaten, with Thierry Henry scoring 30 goals. They have been second best 6 times, and third 5 times. London rivals Chelsea have triumphed 5 times in the same period.

Arsenal are the masters of near misses, losing the finals of the 2018/19 Europa League to Chelsea. However, they have won The Football Association Challenge Cup 9 times since 1992/93 season, their last triumphs coming in the 2016/17 season.

But that is still seen as grossly underwhelming for a club that has in their ranks some of the most talented and sought after stars on earth.

Arsenal boasts an arsenal of top class forwards, led by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabonese is supported by Nicolas Pepe and Alexandre Lacazette, combining to generate enviable firepower.

The likes of Mesut Ozil, Matteo Guendouzi and Granit Xhaka play in Arsenal’s midfield, but behind them is where problems seem to lie.

A defence made of Hector Bellerin, Kieran Tierney, Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Calum Chambers, Pablo Mari, Sead Kolasinac, Cedric Soares and the inimitable David Luiz is notorious for often leaving Bernd Leno exposed.

Arsenal have had their transfer opportunities and have botched most of them or have shown an unmatched frugality. Fans have often been treated to laughable transfers, or some decisions by coaches that have left the Gunners short of armament when it is needed most.

Arteta left Lacazette, Ceballos, Pepe and Kolasinac on the bench while starting Willock, Mari and Nketiah, all against a side whose reserve team Tottenham Hostspurs manager Jose Mourinho once said could be in contention for the premier league trophy.

With 5 substitutes allowed, Man City were sure to make light work of Arsenal, players coming off the bench as good as those who had already run roughshod over the Londoners, only fresher. To have the weaker team a man down was always going to be suicidal.

But Arsenal fans, as patient as they are, will, going forward, find it hard to stomach such underwhelming performances from a team known for playing entertaining, but not winning, football. Soon, the chickens will come home to roost for Arteta, and the team’s faithful will shout him down from wherever Covid-19 has confined them to.

Arsenal needs to perform and avoid making excuses. Pretty football, which is not what they played against City, is not enough. They need to score consistently and avoid conceding carelessly. They need to learn the art of winning, they need to bring back the glorious days when Highbury, then Emirates, was more feared than an assassin’s gun. They need to gun for wins.