The Arteta record Arsenal must avoid vs Southampton

Arsenal had the top four well within their grasp. But that grip has loosened. Now, needing to win their game in hand on Tottenham with a ten-goal swing to even return to the promised land temporarily, it’s no longer theirs to lose.

Much like in April 2019, costly Premier League points lost to Crystal Palace and Brighton could be their undoing. Champions League football was theirs for the taking then, just as it was now.

Saturday’s clash with Southampton is beginning to feel like do or die. Any hopes of securing that elusive fourth spot are already hanging by a thread on account of the damaging injuries and back-to-back defeats, all of which is without factoring in the respective run-ins of the north London rivals.

In most peoples’ view, it’s now about worrying what is below as opposed to that which is above.

Arsenal aiming to avoid new Mikel Arteta record vs Southampton with Gunners never losing three games in succession during his tenure

Europa League football was considered an acceptable outcome for this season based on the horrors of the previous campaigns and the uncertainty of the transfer signings, although that would not constitute progress on its own. Fans have paid witness to improvements in playing style and personnel, and matching that with Champions League football do wonders for the project.

Defeat against the Saints, however, has European football on the whole at risk.

If that were to happen it would see this team reach new unwanted lows since Mikel Arteta came in. Throughout the Spaniard’s tenure Arsenal have lost two games on the spin in all competitions on seven occasions. They have never lost three in a row.

Coincidentally, the first time Arsenal lost twice in a row in all competitions under Arteta saw them lose the second game of that run to Brighton. The score that day was also 2-1. What came next to prevent it being three? A win over Southampton.

As fans will know, omens count for nothing. Nor does form. Brighton were winless in seven Premier League matches and had scored just once during that run before an Enock Mwepu masterclass turned the Gunners over last time out. Looking at this Saints team, they’ve lost each of their last four at home and got battered 6-0 by Chelsea in their most recent outing.

If anything, that’s a deterrent for positivity.

This team‘s capacity to bounce back had been on show throughout most of the season. Almost every defeat had been followed by victory, so to see a performance of such insipidness sucked a lot of the life out of this top four charge.

They have to dig deep and turn this boat Arteta references around. Don’t let it sink further.