Arsenal: How many times can Hector Bellerin make the same mistake?

There’s a reason why repeat offenders aren’t given the benefit of the doubt, and Hector Bellerin is Arsenal’s repeat offender. When will it change?

Arsenal notched a nervy victory against Everton, with their defense stinking the place up again, but they were still able to secure the clean sheet. This was no thanks to Hector Bellerin, who can’t seem to grasp a concept that is proving to be detrimental tot he club.

When someone makes a mistake once, you can excuse it. Event twice, three times, you chalk it up as part of the learning curve. You have to fail to learn from it, more times than not. But in Bellerin’s case, he is making the same mistake day in and day out.

You all undoubtedly already know what mistake it is that I’m talking about: His consistent positional faux pas that leave opposing attackers onside when the rest of the back line has played them off.

In the first minute of the match against Everton, we saw a familiar freeze frame on an instant replay. Sokratis and Mustafi were in line, playing Richarlison offside.

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But there in the back, closest to the bottom of the screen, was Bellerin, five feet behind his other two defenders and level with the Everton attacker, playing him onside for what should have been an easy goal, had it not been for Cech’s heroics.

Again, if this was the first time, fine, he will learn. But it has happened in every single match this season and it is getting to the point where I feel like teams can expect to be played onside by the wayward positioning of the young Spaniard.

This is the one big mistake, but there have been countless other defensive frailties on his side of things. He gets out-muscled to easily, left in the dust by half-competent wingers, and left exposed like a deer in an open field.

There isn’t a lot going right for Bellerin on the defensive side and I don’t think that his ability going forward makes up for it. In fact, I know it doesn’t. Because these handfuls of times where he is playing attackers in behind for easy chances on goal are consistent, whereas the chances he is providing at the other end are not.

We have an organization kingpin on the bench in Stephan Lichtsteiner. We are well passed time to get the veteran Swiss defender out there and let Bellerin mull things over on the bench.