Mikel Arteta’s decisions are killing this Arsenal team

This can only be allowed to continue for so long. It’s important that the rough and the smooth at Arsenal be taken with equally tempered responses. But this is bad. This is very bad. And it’s been going on for a while.

Demarai Gray’s stoppage time strike secured a 2-1 comeback win for Everton on Monday night -their first victory in nine matches – in a game they deserved to win. Meanwhile, Arsenal are left to stew over a sixth defeat in 15.

Fingers will be pointed at various individuals in the team, with senior players such as Thomas Partey and Alexandre Lacazette putting in woeful performances, but some substantial blame lies on the manager.

Mikel Arteta is making decisions that are killing this team.

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Mikel Arteta’s baffling decisions are killing this Arsenal team after another horror show in 2-1 Premier League defeat to Everton

Selecting a Premier League lineup that few would argue against being a strong one, the damaging attempts to be too smart in his game management were painfully laid bare at Goodison Park. It’s not the first time, and across two years of him being in charge there is little to suggest it will be the last.

With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sitting on the bench, and Nicolas Pepe, for that matter, he instead opted to bring on Eddie Nketiah to play left winger in place of Gabriel Martinelli with 20 minutes to go. There is no clear reason why. Having rejected a new contract just days ago, Nketiah has now been selected ahead of his teammates to come off the bench at Old Trafford and on Monday, having not played a single minute prior.

While his starting team looked strong, the decision to have Lacazette peel off into the left half-spaces and act as a second No. 10 was yet another egregious case of him trying to be too clever for his own good.

This is not an experiment. This is Arsenal Football Club, and continued decisions such as playing without a centre-forward on Monday and then bringing on players who weren’t deemed at the level required even for a place on the bench until they rejected contracts are decisions that are holding this team back.

Its potential is there, only for the box it’s in to be coloured in with marker pens and sprinkled with glitter instead of just being opened up from the top.

Arteta is taking the scenic route to success via multiple roadblocks when the path ahead is clear should he wish to take it. With a young and developing squad that will encounter setbacks, the quantity of those that are becoming self-inflicted requires urgent attention.

The simple is being overcomplicated and it’s not just holding Arsenal back, it’s pinning them down.