Pain in the Arsenal
Fansided

Arsenal’s massive drawback – being consistently inconsistent

By Trent Nelson

BURNLEY, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal reacts during the Premier League match between Burnley and Arsenal at Turf Moor on March 6, 2021 in Burnley, United Kingdom. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
BURNLEY, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal reacts during the Premier League match between Burnley and Arsenal at Turf Moor on March 6, 2021 in Burnley, United Kingdom. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 2
Next
Arsenal, Mikel Arteta
BURNLEY, ENGLAND – MARCH 06: Mikel Arteta the manager / head coach of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Burnley and Arsenal at Turf Moor on March 6, 2021 in Burnley, United Kingdom. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images) /

Arsenal With A Tough Road Ahead

Revenge against Olympiacos will be the next step towards that ambition, and while they stopped Arsenal last season, it will take all of the effort in London Colney to stop it from happening once more. Should they be able to overcome the Greek juggernauts across two legs, they will face the possible prospect of facing Tottenham once again.

While I wouldn’t ever discount any club or league, it might be fair to suggest that Tottenham, perhaps with the exception of Manchester United, are the toughest test standing between Arsenal and that elusive European title. They too wish for European play next year, and like the Gunners, are not entirely likely to get it by domestic routes.

Therefore, the path the European participation for Arsenal next year lies through English teams all the way down the line. Should they be able to get passed Olympiacos, they may have to face a Premier League rival once again for the chance to compete in the Champions League next year.

Can this even be done? When a team is so inconsistent, despite the mix of young and old names and talents, nothing is sure. The club has the talent to do so, yet seemingly not the ability to stitch these moments into consistent action or strategy.

While the time is not run out yet, we are nearing the point where it is drawing closer to completion; can the Gunners pull out another something special, similar to last campaign? Anything is possible, yet for this to happen, we will have to start seeing some signs of real, meaningful life from the entire outfit.

Mistakes like Granit Xhaka demonstrated, and showcases rather routinely, can’t be witnessed, and goals must be scored by the very well-paid marksmen and talented band of youths that make up the teams advanced midfield depth.

Next. Arsenal not capitalising on dominance has structural origins. dark

When we begin to see these things game in and game out, we will see exactly what Arsenal is capable of. Until then, we will only continue to see shock victories, followed by shock losses. In the instance that the latter continues, the Gunners will have a lot of time to think about themselves next season, with only a domestic schedule to play.

Home/Arsenal News