Arsenal: Two weeks to make or break Mikel Arteta

Here we sit just one match into the new Premier League season and Arsenal is already a club in crisis. So many questions have been centered around the club’s transfer activity and the quality of Mikel Arteta as a manager.

Having the best part of two months to get his side ready for the onslaught that Brentford was going to bring, every man and his dog knew what Arsenal was going to face. A newly promoted team, first-ever match in the top flight, oh and a packed out stadium to go with it. It was a perfect storm.

One would have thought that Arteta and his side knew what they were going to encounter; they were woefully unprepared and lacked the same fight and desire their opponents had.

Why though? This is Arsenal. A club steeped in history and trophies but over the few seasons, the aura has not slowly disappeared, it has gone completely and very quickly. Arteta had his doubters last season after a string of poor results had the club hovering about the relegation zone.

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Arsenal: Mikel Arteta facing defining two weeks with three crucial fixtures to come and the transfer window still open to improve the squad

However, Arsenal saw an upturn in form post Christmas and eventually made it to eighth in the league table. Something unacceptable for a club the size of Arsenal. Arteta was given slack by many as he had not had a proper pre-season and a full summer transfer window to get his ideas across as well as getting the right players in.

Well, here we sit and Arsenal has not moved on anywhere near enough of the fringe players that do not have a future at the club, and at the time of writing, only three players have been signed, albeit with two more imminent. What is perhaps most surprising is how the Gunners performed in their Premier League opener.

They were essentially bullied by Brentford, did not look to have a clear game style and plan, and almost looked like they were waiting for Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe to produce a moment of brilliance (which they nearly did) to get them out of trouble.

When news broke that both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette were unwell and unavailable, many fans were hoping for at least a draw, although there was still enough quality in the squad to get three points. Instead, it was as poor a performance from Arsenal that we have seen. While they did have their moments, Brentford was full value for their win.

With the loss, the Gunners are now staring down the barrel of a 0-3 start to its league campaign. Arsenal faces Chelsea and Manchester City in its next two Premier League fixtures with West Brom in the EFL Cup sandwiching them both, and based on Friday night’s performance, Arsenal will lose at least two of those games. Defeatist? Realist, perhaps.

https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1428034672592920593

Three consecutive defeats are highly plausible. Could Mikel Arteta survive that? Surely the answer is no. The fact that he was almost on his way out last season, the Gunners boss has very little give before the wolves come calling – and they are at his front door already.

While it seems a big leap to suggest Arteta has two games to save his managerial career when the season has just started but for many, that is the cold hard truth. Football is a results business and Arteta is struggling to secure them.

Many fans have suggested that nothing can save Arteta from the sack. Should he sign the players Arsenal need in the next two weeks and win one of their next two league matches then perhaps he will get more time. However, the likelihood of that happening is rather slim.

It is not all his fault though; the owners have blood on their hands too. The Kroenke’s have been notoriously disengaged and clueless in their appointments, which Arteta is bearing the full brunt of. After stating the club must be ruthless in its transfers in the off-season, the Ben White deal aside, Arsenal has not made a true splash in the market like many expected, nor been cutthroat with departures.

Although the singings of Nuno Tavares and Albert Lokonga have filled needs, more is needed. As we saw against Brentford, the Gunners need another creative force and at this stage, who fortunately will be arriving in the shape of Martin Odegaard.

So here we sit, in one of the darkest times at this historic club. Fans are unhappy, the team is not playing the attractive, free-flowing attacking football it is known for and the manager’s tactics aren’t helping neither.

Arteta’s position is nearly untenable should he lose to Chelsea, West Brom and Manchester City in the next two weeks, especially if there is at least no upturn in performances. Signings need to be made and progress needs to be seen, otherwise, we are looking another manager who has come in and failed to put their stamp on the team.

The outlook is bleak right now and it has the potential to get a lot worse before it gets better. Is Arteta the man to get this club where it needs to be? That is a question that most of the fanbase already know the answer to.