Arsenal: 3 biggest mistakes Mikel Arteta made in 2020/21

1. Willian

Number one on the list funnily enough has traits of both the former points. It’s also simply titled ‘Willian’ since selecting one issue with his being at Arsenal would be unfair on all the other issues. It’s a whole package.

Willian being what he has become at Arsenal is a genuine shame, and shock. Ignoring finance and form and what have you, he seems like a really lovely bloke and it would have been nice for a change if someone going from west London to north London turned out alright for once.

Nope.

Everything about Willian joining Arsenal has been a downright catastrophe from the moment he walked through the doors stating how he can’t wait to win the Champions League and put pen to paper on a three-year contract worth anywhere between £150-£200k-per-week. Even the bottom end, and indeed lower, is inexplicable. It also welcomed more Kia Joorabchian into Arsenal.

Chelsea wanted to hand him two more years. He said no. The only way Arsenal could win this rotten egg and spoon race would be to go with three. He’s 32. You have to question a player’s commitment at this stage with seven years across the city behind him.

Arteta should never have signed him in the first place. Furthermore, he should never started him for 12 of the opening 14 Premier League games. Not when Nicolas Pepe had just finished last season so strongly with his best performance in an Arsenal shirt being, quite literally, the last one he played.

Here we are at the end of the season and Pepe is playing his best football to date for the club. In truth the entirety of 2021 has been an upward trajectory for the Ivorian. We shouldn’t, however, ignore the fact he was pretty atrocious for most of the start of the season. This can’t be brushed under the carpet.

What we can do is question whether Arteta exempting him from the team for the first third of the season didn’t have a significant impact on that form. It took him time to find his feet and here he is now. Willian seemed to get progressively worse. Who knows where Arsenal could have been at this stage. Even when Pepe is rubbish at least he has some moments in the final third. A modicum of goal threat.

14 games into the season with Willian somehow stealing a living as well as minutes from others who were far more deserving of them, it was him being ill for the Boxing Day clash with Chelsea where it all changed. Following on from then he started only four Premier League matches. We needn’t revise the form table for this one.

Then, at the 37th attempt, Willian scored his first Arsenal goal against West Brom. That was his third shot on target. His third, in 37 matches. As far as his conversion rate goes it’s….not half bad, but in a season where Arsenal mustered the fewest number of goals at home since 1973/94 and the fewest overall since 1995/96, forwards not scoring is thrust into the limelight. Arteta failed to see this sooner.

Everton away will remain one of the most infuriating performances from any individual for many years.

So here we are, with Willian earning quite outstanding sums of money for another two years, and Arsenal faced with one hell of a job shifting him.

• Arteta gave the all-clear for this transfer – mistake one.
• Arteta persisted with Willian despite him being utterly hopeless – mistake two.
• Arteta opted to punish him for a trip to Dubai by playing him as soon as he got back – mistake three.
• Arteta wasted the vast majority of 1,900 minutes that should have been dished out elsewhere – mistake four.
• Arteta is now stuck with Willian – mistake five.

For all of the points above, what is most encouraging is that it appears Arteta has learned from them. The No. 10 situation has been seen to with Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard, who may return but if he doesn’t will be replaced. As for timing he is beginning to make the right choices on personnel with some semblance of bidding farewell to his failed ploys. Simplistic decisions with his own touch.

And in regards to Willian, he does not factor in to the equation anymore. He’s finally lost the faith of Arteta and there is no doubt he will try to sell him this summer if at all possible. There is no role for him this team.

Progress, you could say. One thing is for sure, the pitchforks will be out if similar mistakes rear their ugly heads next season. They shouldn’t, though.