For Arsenal, they were originally the most in-form team in the entire league in the middle of the season, although there was little hope in terms of title competition, but in the competition for the top four, they were once the most favored team. Especially with several rivals generally not in good shape, Arsenal look close to returning to the Champions League. However, in the final stages of the league, they seem to have shown signs of "the end of the crossbow", and after two consecutive games of not being able to take all three points, their situation in the standings is not optimistic. That left Arsenal's fans feeling a little bottomless.
Judging by the team's current position in the standings, they are in a rather delicate position. Let's start with the good aspects. They are in fifth place, just three points away from the fourth-place team, a nearly negligible gap when they play one game less than their opponents. If they can quickly adjust to their form, they are expected to return to the top four after a few rounds. Let's look at the less favorable aspects. Although they are not much different from the teams in front, their points ahead of the teams behind them are also quite limited. The sixth- and seventh-placed teams are also only three points less than them. And from the perspective of the schedule, Arsenal will welcome a number of very strong opponents in the remaining schedule. If the team misses a little bit in this schedule, not only will the Champions League qualification not be obtained, but even the Europa League qualification will be difficult to ensure. This is a difficult ending for Arsenal, which has performed well for most of the season.
What worries fans even more is the team's tactical system. Arteta's platooning seems to have greatly affected the team's combat effectiveness. For the players, he did not "do his best", and many players were not put in the most suitable position. For example, in the left-back position, in the absence of Tierney, as his natural substitute, the young man Tavares did not have the trust of Arteta, who chose Xhaka, who came from midfield. Judging from the specific performance, in this position, Xhaka has almost no performance. From the technical characteristics, Xhaka did not have enough excellent speed, nor did he have enough defensive awareness and defensive position sense, resulting in the opponent in the area he was defending" like no man's land. In fact, for Xhaka, there is another reason why he can't be placed on the defensive line, that is, his defensive habits are very bad, it is easy to be shown red and yellow cards, and in the defensive line where there is almost no room for mistakes, this will become a big uncertainty factor for the team.
In midfield, Arteta's squad selection is also problematic. With Thomas unable to play, he unexpectedly put Lokunga at the back of the single. Compared with Thomas, who is balanced in attack and defense, the young Lokunga cannot complete the task of a single back, both in terms of experience and in terms of playing at both the offensive and defensive ends. Especially defensively, in the face of the opponent's rotation of attacks, the slightly thin Lokonga was completely unable to stand, and other players also lacked effective help for him, which made the team lose all positions in midfield. In the forward position, Arteta's use of Edgar still seems to have some wavering ideas, he does not use the latter as the real organizational core of the team, and the position on the right also makes Edgao's play somewhat limited.
In the forward line, the team's performance is also quite sluggish. Judging from the performance this season, as the team's main striker, Lacazette does not have enough strength to be qualified for this position. Objectively speaking, the French striker has always had obvious shortcomings in scoring efficiency, but in the eyes of many fans, he has a pivot ability that other forward players do not have. However, as he grew older, Lacazette's speed and physical ability to fight decreased significantly, and his role as a "bridgehead" almost ceased to exist. In contrast, the young Nketia has shown a good performance, and he has at least brought more vitality to the front line than the old Lacazette. However, if we look at next season, the team must make reinforcements in the center position. According to the Daily Sports newspaper, Arsenal, who can't stand the front line, has communicated with Jovic and has officially sent an offer to Real Madrid. Arsenal are understood to be hoping to get the striker on loan. The other side is more inclined to sell it for a transfer fee of 20 million euros.
In addition, in the midfield position, as Xhaka's form continues to be sluggish, the team is also seeking reinforcements, hoping to sign a ball-controlled midfielder. It is reported that Renato Sanchez, who has excellent ball possession ability, has been included in the team's reinforcement list. The Portugal international midfielder is expected to join the squad for a transfer fee of around €30 million. (The picture comes from the Internet, if there is infringement, please contact to delete)