Mikel Arteta has drained the fun out of Arsenal

Tottenham at home. 35 minutes of pulsating football. A transitional masterpiece. In the seven and a half matches apart from that this season, have Arsenal been replicated that, at all? Not in the slightest.

Yet dubbing it seven and a half is unfair. The second period of the North London Derby was about preserving energy and holding on to a lead, so that can be eliminated.

The final flurry at Norwich? That stays in the ‘not fun’ category as the Canaries were pushing for a late equaliser and leaving huge gaps in defence that any side could have exploited. Daniel Farke’s team are also hopelessly bad.

Brighton away? Painful. The three opening Premier League matches? Excruciating. The visit to Turf Moor? A slog. Crystal Palace at home? Deeply concerning.

Mikel Arteta has drained the fun out of Arsenal after watching another uninspiring Premier League outing – this time against Crystal Palace

Snatching a draw in dramatic fashion is almost always fun. Late goals are a cornerstone of football enjoyment. But the story is very different when you’re facing a team sat 14th in the table on home soil who are missing their best player.

When has it been fun to watch Arsenal? When was the last time under Mikel Arteta? This is a team that can’t sustain attacks (not fun), can’t press for any longer than ten-minute spells at the most (not fun), can’t score goals in a variety of ways (not fun) and can’t flick the switch of excitement in certain game states (not fun).

Winning matches is what is the most important for Arsenal at the present time. They have to climb the table. But for a fanbase so used to seeing their side play with invention and freedom, not shackled by structure and routine, having to perfectly execute every minor detail of a match in order to simply score a goal, let alone win, the adjustment is hard to adapt to.

The enjoyment of watching Arsenal, not just in the Premier League, evaporates. Unai Emery got the balance hideously wrong as well, just in the opposite direction. Arteta is bringing his own take.

With the wealth of attacking talent Arteta has at his disposal it’s, dare we say, embarrassing, that he can’t find a formula that fashions meaningful chances. It’s evident that the players are on board with his methods, but the methods don’t stack up. They limit the individuals and sap away the entertainment.

After so many months at the helm, with money and time dished out in generous measure, that this still remains an issue sets off alarm bells. If Arsenal weren’t attractive on the eye but were finding results then this discussion wouldn’t be as prevalent and would arise more organically. Unfortunately Arsenal doing neither, therefore every aspect must be debated.

It’s on Arteta, a man who’s played and worked with some of the most entertaining around.

Arsenal aren’t fun anymore.