Arsenal have a serious stupidity problem they can’t fix

An 18-day wait for Arsenal to be back in action meant excitement levels were soaring in the build-up to Thursday’s crucial clash with Wolves. Yet by the 70th minute mark everyone questioned what it was they were supposed to be looking forward to.

A tight opening 20 minutes saw neither team willing to over extend themselves, partly down to the way that Wolves’ matches this season have panned out; the team who scores first tends to go on to secure three points.

So when Gabriel bundled home in the 20th minute recent history suggested it would be Arsenal who would go on to clinch victory.

That was, of course, until Gabriel Martinelli’s bizarre sending off with just over 20 minutes left on the clock. Unique events are no longer unique when Arsenal are involved. A red card that most will have never seen and likely never will again was issued to the Brazilian. Only Arsenal, eh?

Arsenal have a serious stupidity problem they can’t fix with Gabriel Martinelli red card the latest in a long line of bizarre moments from Arteta’s side

While the laws of the game were brought into question off the back of the decision, there is no denying that what he did was stupid. No two ways about it.

Deliberately blocking a throw in to avoid Wolves breaking with pace, Michael Oliver opted to allow play to carry on, handing Martinelli the time to charge down Chiquinho from behind and commit another foul. In isolation these are two bookable offences. But to happen in the same sequence with the same player is unheard of.

But the points stands that what Martinelli did was foolish. Unquestionably so. His sending off rules him out of the home clash with Brentford and takes the Gunners’ red card tally in 2022 to four from six games. That’s double the amount of goals across the same period.

It’s no longer a worrying trend, and instead a regular occurrence. The buzzword for this team is unity, but that shouldn’t infer that they all copy one another’s inexplicable dopiness in key moments.

Granit Xhaka and Gabriel can be added to the list as well, with the former’s inability to let anything go seeing him get booked in the first half for a needless shirt pull when he had cover next to him, and Gabriel getting in the referee’s book for time wasting after 60 minutes.

Arsenal collectively do a lot of stupid things. On one level the sh*thousery from the team is somewhat commendable, and that side of the group is something that they’ve needed to show more of. But they’re also appalling at it. Clear novices. Their efforts to time waste are so blatant and feeble. Equally, this group fails to read the room in matches where they have to realise referees have every desire to brandish cards to a team with its own poor reputation.

It’s been an issue throughout Mikel Arteta’s tenure, and one that is still no nearer being fixed. In fact, it appears to be worsening.

The manager’s assessment was ‘very worrying’. That’s an understatement. On this occasion resilience and the fortune of facing a team who score so few goals was the saviour. That won’t happen again.

This can’t happen again. It will derail the season and blow the Premier League top four hunt. Solve the stupidity.