Arsenal, once touted as a strong contender for the Premier League title this season, find themselves in a disappointing position. Despite the high expectations after two seasons of pushing Manchester City close, the Gunners are already six points behind league leaders Liverpool, with a game in hand still favoring the Merseysiders. With their form slipping, let’s explore the key factors behind Arsenal’s struggles this season.
1. Bad Luck and Unfortunate Events
It’s clear that the luck Arsenal enjoyed in the past two seasons has not followed them into the current campaign. The Gunners, who had been one of the least disciplined teams under Mikel Arteta in the early years, managed to avoid major red cards in the last two seasons. However, that trend has reversed drastically this season. With an unusually high rate of red cards, Arsenal have found themselves playing with a man down on several occasions, leading to dropped points from games they should have won.
In addition, injuries have disrupted the rhythm of key players. Last season, the likes of Gabriel, Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, Ben White, and William Saliba were almost ever-present. This season, injuries have sidelined several key figures, with Ødegaard and White being notable absentees, and Gabriel also struggling with fitness. As a result, the team’s core has been fragmented, significantly impacting Arsenal’s title challenge.
2. Inadequate Signings
While Arsenal made some notable acquisitions over the past couple of seasons, it’s clear that their new signings haven’t had the desired impact. Declan Rice, the marquee signing of the summer, has been solid but hasn’t provided the transformative edge expected from a player of his caliber. Meanwhile, Kai Havertz has failed to provide the match-winning moments that Arsenal need, and his contributions have mostly been subtle rather than decisive.
Other signings, like Jorginho, Leandro Trossard, and the injured Jurriën Timber, have contributed to strengthening the squad’s depth but haven’t raised the team’s ceiling. The lack of standout performances from these players has left Arsenal lacking the squad depth necessary to cover for injuries and suspensions, hindering their challenge for the title.
3. An Ineffective Attack
Despite being one of the best teams at set pieces, Arsenal’s open-play attack has been far from convincing. They have scored an impressive number of goals from dead-ball situations, but their open-play goals per 90 minutes are among the worst in the league. This issue has been further exacerbated by the lack of clinical finishing from players like Gabriel Martinelli, who has failed to reach the heights expected of him, and Gabriel Jesus, who has been inconsistent and injured.
Furthermore, Arsenal’s other forwards, such as Havertz and Trossard, have not been able to provide the creative spark needed to complement Saka and Ødegaard. This imbalance between set-piece dominance and open-play struggles has made Arsenal more predictable and easier to defend against, contributing to their lackluster attacking output.
4. Strong Competition from Liverpool and Chelsea
While Arsenal’s season has faltered, their rivals have made significant strides. Liverpool, under Jurgen Klopp, have emerged as the clear favorites, with an excellent blend of defensive stability and attacking potency. Despite their own struggles, including a lack of major signings, Liverpool have managed to convert their dominance into points and have been the more consistent team this season.
Chelsea, too, have found form after a slow start. Their defense has been solid, and they’ve managed to find results despite not being clinical in front of goal. While they might not be true title contenders yet, Chelsea’s improvement over the past couple of months has seen them close the gap with Arsenal, and they are now firmly ahead in the race for the top four.
5. Injuries and Fatigue Catching Up
Arsenal’s reliance on a select few key players has also caught up with them this season. In the previous campaigns, they were able to rely on heavy minutes from their core group, but with key injuries and suspensions, Arteta has been forced to rotate more than he would like. As players like Ødegaard and White have missed substantial time, Arsenal have lacked the cohesion and consistency that propelled them to second place in the previous seasons.
Injuries to important players have coincided with a rise in red cards, and these cumulative setbacks have left Arsenal in a position where they can’t sustain the form they’ve shown in recent seasons.
6. What’s Next for Arsenal?
While Arsenal still boast one of the best defensive records in the league and are not far off the top teams in terms of overall performance, their attacking struggles and lack of depth mean that they will need to make significant improvements if they are to challenge for the title in the second half of the season.
The Gunners are still a team capable of winning plenty of games, but with Liverpool in form and Chelsea making strides, it looks increasingly unlikely that they will be able to close the gap and lift their first Premier League title since 2004. However, with the right adjustments and a return to form for key players, Arsenal can still salvage their season and secure a top-four finish.
Ultimately, the 2024-25 Premier League season could be a missed opportunity for the Gunners unless they can regain the consistency that has eluded them thus far.
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