Arsenal Vs CSKA Moscow: Biggest demon the greatest problem

Arsenal host CSKA Moscow in the crucial first leg of their Europa League quarter-final with the Russians. For the Gunners, their biggest demon is the greatest problem: Concentration.

For Arsenal, there is only one thing that matters between now and the end of the season. The domestic cups, in very different fashion, are finished. The top four is out of reach. The Europa League is now the only competition that offers both the chance at a trophy and qualification for next season’s Champions League.

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As a result, every Europa League game that they will play between now and the end of the year becomes the most important game of the season up until that point, starting with CSKA Moscow’s trip to the Emirates for the quarter-final first leg on Thursday night.

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It is a game that the Gunners should be expecting to win. While Moscow, who are third in the Russian Premier League, have done well to work their way to this stage in the competition, squeezing past a very good Lyon team in the prior round, there is still a clear quality disparity between these two teams. And yet, that is exactly what scares me most.

For Arsene Wenger and his players, there has been one clear and damning demon that has consistently ravaged even their best-laid plans. You see, when this team gets confident, which is a good thing, they slip into complacency, which is a bad thing, which leads to lapses in concentration, which is a disastrous thing, and it has cost them on the biggest stages time and time again.

Take this year’s Carabao Cup final as an example. After a corner was headed wide for a goal kick to Manchester City, Shkodran Mustafi slowly worked his way back into his centre-half position. Unfathomably, he decided to stand in front of Sergio Aguero, not behind him. A long punt forward, nudge in the back, and cute, dinked finish later, and City had one hand on the trophy, a hand that they would not take off all match,

Another prime instance is the second leg against FK Ostersunds. Arsenal were by far the better team of the two. They had a three-goal lead from the first leg and were presumed aggregate winners. Only a lapse two-minute period in the first half gave two goals to the Swedes and panic began to ripple through the Emirates. It may not have led to anything, but the very stark warning was there: This team has an incredible ability to switch off.

That is what scares me, greatly, for Thursday. CSKA have the quality to take advantage of Arsenal’s lapses. They do not need to be invited to score goals. They will cause more than enough problems than it is. There is no need to gift them any more cheap and easy opportunities. And yet, that is a rare gift that this team seems to boast.

Next: Arsenal Vs CSKA Moscow: 3 key Gunners to watch

This is the Gunners’ biggest demon. It has been for so many years. It is also their greatest problem. I’m not sure that Wenger has an answer.