Arsenal are too nice

What’s wrong with Arsenal? Actually, don’t answer that. The deeper we seek for answers the more unwanted questions we encounter. There is, however, one aspect of this team that does stand out.

There has been a very long-winded narrative about Arsenal having a soft underbelly; an incapability of handling the physical side of the game. That has long been dispelled. It’s not valid anymore and hasn’t been for a while.

But there is another side to this team that is soft. It was on show against Manchester United, was laid bare at Everton and has been lurking in the shadows for many years before that: they’re too nice.

It’s an incredibly likable band of young players being assembled at Arsenal, but they need additional lessons with Severus Snape in Dark Arts class as Mikel Arteta’s side are getting walked all over.

Arsenal are too nice in how they act on a football pitch with their weak and dismissive mentality costing them dearly in the Premier League

When Bukayo Saka was assaulted by James McArthur from behind, what did the players do? Looked around at each other. 

When Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was hauled down by Jonny Evans, what did the players do? They saw the yellow card and thought: ‘fine’.

When Emile Smith Rowe’s goal a Old Trafford was blown up for a perceived foul, what did the players do? They jogged back ready for a free-kick.

When Takehiro Tomiyasu was hauled down by Harry Maguire, what did the players do? They called for the corner.

When Takehiro Tomiyasu had has face stamped on, what did the players do? Made no mention of it.

When Anthony Gordon went studs in on Nuno Tavares, what did the players do? Ever so briefly raised their arms for a foul.

On the one hand, almost all of these decisions should be punished without the need for some visible anger from the Arsenal players. Four of those were blatant red cards. The officials should do their jobs.

Right now, and it is across the Premier League, they aren’t. When stonewall calls are going against you without any semblance of an on-field appeal, there needs to be some realisation that, just perhaps, this trend is being allowed to develop into a serious issue. Arsenal have seen calls go their way and calls go against them already this season. They have to do more to affect one side of that.

Paris Saint-Germain are a horrible team to watch. Not because their star-studded cast is disconnected and lacking cohesion, but because they force the referee to make a decision every single time. Ignoring the embarrassing overacting, they make the referee, and in turn everyone watching including VAR, acutely aware that a call hasn’t gone their way.

We don’t need to see Arsenal morph into that strong of a representation of PSG. What we do need is someone to at least challenge these calls in a way that falls in line with the rules of the game, because right now they’re being brushed aside without so much as a finger being lifted in riposte. Apply some pressure.

The mentality of the team can be evidenced in how they react to such situations. It’s all too dismissive, much like the way they surrender positive game states over to the opponent.

Arsenal are too nice.