Arsenal: The one thing Mikel Arteta must solve

Mikel Arteta has revolutionised the Arsenal team in a matter of two weeks and three matches. There is just one thing he must now solve: fitness.

It has been remarkable two weeks and three matches for new Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta. He has revolutionised a team previously seemingly heading towards a relegation battle and now has them playing some of the best football in the entire division.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — After Everton, good luck Mikel Arteta

In his three matches at the helm, the Gunners have produced their best three performances of the season to date. And they are getting better. Wednesday’s victory over a confident Manchester United team that featured a ferocious frontline was the best of the bunch.

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The team now moves the ball quickly, presses high up the pitch, defends with intensity and commitment, works hard for one another, and, most crucially, is winning football matches — or at the very least is deserving to win football matches, which will pay dividends over an extended period.

But, obviously, it is not perfect. While there is reason for great hope and positivity for the future, Arteta has not solved Arsenal. Nevertheless, as he looks to continue to improve the team, there is one obvious problem he must address: fitness.

After the Man. Utd victory, Arteta revealed that he hoped his team’s fitness will improve:

"“I hope so! That wasn’t the plan [to sit back in the second half], I have to admit, but at the moment we are suffering a little bit to maintain the intensity we had in the first half. I think it will come, it is part of the process, the way we train, but at the moment we don’t have much time to do so.”"

This honest assessment of the physical preparation of the players was echoed by David Luiz, who was wonderfully frank about where he and his players currently are from a fitness standpoint in his post-match interview:

"“Yeah I think it was great. We did a great first half and we were a mature team in the second half because we have to be honest and humble to admit that physically we are not ready. We showed that second half against Chelsea and we showed that today. But when physically you are not there you have to put your hearts and this team is in the moment now to change a lot of things.”"

And the stats bare this out. Per Orbinho, in Arteta’s three games in charge, Arsenal have 21 shots in the first half and only three in the second, record 914 passes in the first half and 623 in the second, and have conceded 11 shots in the first half and 24 in the second. Meanwhile, their pass accuracy drops 7% from the first half to the second half and their possession drops 11%, from 56% to 45%.

How Arsenal perform in the first half is how Arteta wants them to perform. Now the challenge is to prepare them such that they can sustain such a high level over the full 90 minutes. And for that, the players need to get fitter.