Arsenal: The team that no longer plays good football

Arsenal Football Club are known for their wonderful pass-and-move style of football. However, this year, for the first time in a while, Arsenal can no longer be known as the team that plays exquisite football and loses; this year, they are the team that just loses.

It may sound harsh to say, given that the last two games were against the best Premier League side this season, but if you honestly look at the style of Arsenal’s football this season, it hasn’t hit the mark.

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Arsenal are the team best known for their style of play. Ever since the likes of Thierry Henry and Dennis Berkhamp showed up, pioneering Arsene Wenger’s beautiful style, they have been a force of attractive, chic football. For decades, the team boasted an attitude of possession, tight passing and most importantly, an eye for goal.

But this season, they’ve shown only a glimpse of that same rip-roaring style. And those glimpses were mainly displayed against lesser sides. Against the big dogs, Manchester United, and more recently, Manchester City, they have proven to be lacklustre, absent of the necessary quality to carve and create.

With the added addition of Aubameyang, Arsenal looked to finally have a goal threat – which they still do. But so far, the arrival of the Gabon international hasn’t been as hopeful as some may have thought. And that can’t be pushed on him. Wenger’s mindset has never been on one stand-out performer. Yes, the likes of Alexis Sanchez would have given Arsenal the edge in games previously, but most of the time, the team functions as one.

And recently it appears that this team just isn’t functioning in any capacity whatsoever. Misplaced passes, poor distribution, and worst of all, poor decisions in the final third. The pass-and-move style of yesteryear has subsided for a slow, ponderous, lethargy. The team I grew up loving is but a distant memory.

Obviously, that team did not win every game. The draws and the losses were still frustrating. But seeing beautiful football nearly every game at least provided an entertainment value. Now, fans are relegated to seeing teams waltz over the Gunners without a care in the world. The fire in the players to play good football doesn’t seem to be there. The boldness of the players to play good football doesn’t seem to be there. The downright quality of the players to play good football doesn’t seem to be there.

You could blame it on Wenger for not getting the most out of his players, but if the players don’t perform, your first thought shouldn’t be the manager. It should be on the players. The quality is there, at times. It has been shown, fleetingly. But the consistent spark is missing. Badly.

Next: Arsenal Vs Brighton: Predicted starting XI

Hopefully, confidence is the answer to Arsenal’s problems. With Wenger constantly under scrutiny, it’s sure to rub off on the players and the club in general. They face Brighton on Sunday, following their double (3-0) defeats to City. The performance will be all important, and I will be hoping for that free-flowing play of prior years to return. I am not confident.