Arsenal: Champions League requires facing their fears

After Monday’s 2-0 win over Newcastle United, Arsenal are within touching distance of a Champions League place. But to attain that goal, they now have to conquer their fear: away games.

Arsenal continued their impressive pre-international break form on Monday night in a strong performance and win against Newcastle United. But with a tough final seven games and a Europa League quarter-final to contend with, Unai Emery needs to ensure the squad begins to face its fears away from home.

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The Gunners have been on a great Premier League run since the turn of 2019, with just two away defeats and wins over Chelsea and Manchester United. Performances have also been better than those seen during the 22-game unbeaten run before Christmas and Emery has managed to finally get the most out of Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey.

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But with five Premier League away games to play, the squad will need to face its demons and start performing with the same quality away from the Emirates that it has in the comfort of its own home. With professional athletes of such skill and talent, it is often difficult to understand why they can be so evidently affected by playing away from home. They are playing the same sport on a pitch of similar size against players of a similar quality to those they faced in the reverse fixture. But for some reason, the thought of a trip to Goodison Park fills me — and seemingly the team — with dread.

Arsenal have performed consistently better than Everton all season. They have collected 20 points more in the league this season. But until Emery and his side respond to their critics and deliver a convincing away win, fans will not be able to avoid the sense of apprehension.

Arsenal have won just one away Premier League match since the new year. And that came against Huddersfield, a team relegated with seven matches to play. They came close against Spurs to proving they can stop the rot, but perhaps Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s penalty miss and Shkodran Mustafi’s idiotic push were merely symptoms of the wider issue.

One positive is that they have improved defensively in the last month, and more broadly since the return of captain Laurent Koscielny to the team. But another failure on the road will only increase doubts about whether they are ready to end the paralysis.

The squad needs to exhibit the strength, solidity and team spirit that has seen them gain impressive results at home all season and deploy it in the coming weeks. Wins against Manchester United, Rennes, and Newcastle United have illustrated the quality of the team. They now simpy have to replicate that on the road.

Arsenal are a better side than those they will face in the coming weeks, but unless they face their fear, the Champions League will fall out of reach.