Arsenal and Mikel Arteta: Bad, unlucky or both?

Arsenal Can Blame Performance and Luck in Chelsea Defeat

So we come to Chelsea and, let us not forget, the Gunners were up against the reigning European champions with a £100m Romelu Lukaku thrown in for good measure against what is a second-choice centre-back. If fully fit, Gabriel and White are shoo-ins to start.

Already without Lacazette, Gabriel, Partey, Odegaard, and a half-fit Aubameyang from the bench, Arsenal was dealt another blow before the Chelsea match as White was ruled out with COVID. Could the results been different had all players been available? Potentially.

All five players are certain starters when fit and Arteta was without them all. Arteta does shoulder some blame, however; without a doubt. His tactics have been questionable in both games and on Sunday, Arsenal’s left-hand side was torn apart. Gifting the Blues time and space, the two goals came with Reece James in acres of space. A unfit Saka struggled with the pace of the game.

Do not get me wrong, Saka is still the starboy, but he was not up to the task on the day. And that is fine. Every player has ups and downs and in an ideal world without injuries and COVID-19, Saka could well have only been a substitute in both games. Due to his efforts at the Euros, Saka needs more time to rest instead of being thrust into the team from the get-go.

So already without a host of first-choice players, Arsenal’s and Arteta’s situation was compounded further with injuries to Kieran Tierney and Martinelli in the second half.

Now Arteta has to get his side to go again midweek when they face West Brom in the second round of the EFL Cup.

The Spaniard is set for the same set of players to choose from in what could be a tricky cup tie, and while it remains to be seen whether Odegaard’s visa situation will be settled in time to allow him to play, the club are hopeful.

Are Arsenal that bad? Absolutely. Is being dealt significant first team absences through COVID and injury helping? Absolutely not.

Does this hold any weight with the Arsenal fanbase? Possibly, but Arteta has not got the best out of the players who are available. Systematically there is still the same glaring issues with or without his preferred starting options.

"“Yes, 100 per cent.”"

The above was Arteta’s response when asked if returning players will bring about a different looking side. Make no mistake about it, when Partey, Odegaard, White, Gabriel and Lacazette are available, they can only improve.

However, their returns mean immediate improvements are non-negotiable. Until then, Arteta needs to keep the ship afloat.

It is hard to envisage the club’s owners investing so much money in players only to sack the coach just weeks into the season. But one thing is for certain, Mikel Arteta is facing a race against time to save his managerial career in north London.

Bad luck or bad tactics? Six of one and half a dozen of the other. Make of that what you will.