Why Arsene Wenger's Arsenal are so vulnerable against likes of Chelsea and Liverpool

Arsene Wenger’s future in doubt?

The Premier League, much revered around the world, has witnessed a great deal of change throughout the last ten years, shaping and sculpting its history and propelling England’s elite domestic competition to new heights of global appreciation.

A decade of transformation that has included condemned foreign investment, ever-increasing television revenue, new champions and a continued influx of some of the world’s most sought after superstars. A vibrant decade of football fittingly started by Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ during their awe-inspiring unbeaten 2003-04 league campaign.

Nine years have passed since Arsène Wenger lifted the last of his domestic trophies embellished with red and white ribbons. Nine years, with only a handful of runners-up medals to show for the unsatisfactory yearly effort in which their loyal, yet dejected fans, have become progressively fearful of another decade in the shadows playing second fiddle to their most bitter rivals.

Many theorists have attempted to conceive the reason behind Arsenal’s barren and unfruitful years. Could it be that, in constructing and reshaping his squad year after year, Wenger’s recruitment policy has lacked inspirational leaders to fortify the heart and spine of the team?

Has Patrick Vieira ever been replaced as club captain, having taken over responsibility following Tony Adams’ retirement in May 2002? What about Sol Campbell, who ended his debut season with the Gunners having rightfully claimed a place in the 2002 FIFA World Cup Team of the Tournament? Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry were also model professionals, although the Irish would probably disagree on the latter’s inclusion. And then there were attackers in the mould of Freddie Ljungberg who, since his retirement, has taken on an ambassadorial role at the club; a midfielder who offered the same level of work ethic throughout the shifting transitions.

There are also some people, including myself, who can’t fathom why Wenger fails to adjust his tactics to suit the opposition as he frequently succumbs to the same defensive blunders on a seasonal basis, preferring instead to ferociously defend his favoured fluid tactical system that features a plethora of likeminded individuals all attempting to sing off the same hymn sheet.

In truth, if you begin to analyse where Arsenal have gone wrong in recent seasons, an underlying problem emerges from the scrutiny; a defensive vulnerability all too often targeted with great success by the Premier League’s most feared sides: susceptibility to the counter-attack.

Indeed, in his recently published autobiography, long-time rival Sir Alex Ferguson spoke of a formula that he devised to beat Arsenal on a consistent basis, with the core strategy centred on the counterattack.

“Arsène had a template of how he sees his players and the way they play. We didn’t need to win the ball against Arsenal, we needed to intercept it. You need good players who can intercept.”

Not much has changed at Arsenal following Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. In the last nine weeks, Arsenal have suffered demoralising away losses against Liverpool (5-1), Chelsea (6-0) and most recently Everton (3-0), capitulating under the pressure asserted by the opposition in midfield, folding under wave after wave of counterattacks and slipping further away from a vital top-four finish. And if you go further back, the stark truth is that Arsenal have routinely finished each of the last seven league campaigns with the worst goal difference of the top four, only halting the trend last season when their defence started to show signs of improvement following the appointment of Steve Bould as assistant manager.

Does Wenger need to address this unremitting problem? Let’s take a closer look at their latest, heavy defeats.

(The diagrams indicate the starting positions of the players when the ball was won by the opposition.)

One of the most negative aspects of Wenger’s tactical approach when facing the top four this season, has been his insistence on instructing both full-backs to venture forward simultaneously down the left and right flank. Many coaches would instruct the full-backs to operate in a see-saw manner, making sure that they understand to halt their run if the opposite full-back is caught up field – an added safety mechanism, which supplements the defensive midfielder.

However, during their 5-1 loss to league leaders Liverpool on February 8, and in particular the third goal that they conceded, Mesut Özil was caught in possession by Jordan Henderson, with Nacho Monreal and Bacary Sagna rampaging forward in order to provide the natural width that Wenger’s creative system demands. Laurent Koscielny gets drawn out of position by the run of Luis Suárez, leaving the cumbersome Per Mertesacker to turn and defend the 18-yard box.

Vast amounts of space between the back four, punished by a quick and efficient counterattacking team.

The meeting with Chelsea on March 22 was no different. Wenger knew he would be facing an attacking quartet full of guile, pace and dynamism, yet acres of space was presented to José Mourinho’s side on numerous occasions.

For the first goal, Kieran Gibbs and Sagna were caught up field, level in Chelsea’s half – the French full-back providing width that would naturally be given to the side had Theo Walcott not been injured since January.

Chelsea’s André Schürrle makes the interception and in one movement plays a one-two with Oscar, bypassing Mikel Arteta and taking the 32-year-old Spaniard out of the game. Koscielny and Mertesacker are central, isolated against Samuel Eto’o, who drifts into the channel before slotting the ball past Wojciech Szcz?sny.

Chelsea have the opportunity to score their second goal as Gibbs overlaps to give Arsenal width, however a wayward pass is intercepted by Nemanja Mati? and Schürrle attacks the space presented by Gibbs’ movement. Sagna is deeper this time, taking up a better position, but he can’t get back in time to add extra bodies in the box. Arteta is once again bypassed with ease – the defensive midfielder, anchor and central playmaker, failing to fully accomplish any of his assigned roles.

Arteta charges out of position, leaving the two central midfielders in a mix-up. Eden Hazard receives the ball, cuts inside and shoots, only for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to take on the role of goalkeeper. Note how Hazard is attempting to get goal side of Mertesacker, who would take forever and a day to catch up with the Belgian trickster. Should Sagna have provided more support?

Having replaced Kieran Gibbs, who was incorrectly sent off by Andre Marriner, Thomas Vermaelen leaves the left-back position to challenge for a header against Branislav Ivanovi?. However, Chelsea’s colossus wins yet another aerial duel this season (111 in total, with a 68% success rate), allowing Fernando Torres to sneak in behind the defensive line as Koscielny advances to cover. Sagna races into the box, tracking Hazard, but the low cross finds Oscar who easily converts.

Four goals in 42 minutes, gifted by Arsenal’s leaky defence that contained more holes that a sieve.

The space between Arsenal’s back four was considerable throughout the meeting with their London rivals. Alarming, especially when you consider that they have one of the league’s most unhurried central defenders in Mertesacker.

Was Wenger’s tactical instruction of using a high line, combined with pushing the full-backs forward, brave, or stupid? I respect the Frenchman’s decision to stay true to his tactical beliefs on how he deems the game should be played. But at the cost of failing to pick up points against the best teams in the division?

Shortly after kick-off it was clear that Steven Naismith was playing through the centre with Romelu Lukaku instructed to shuttle down the right flank and keep tabs on Arsenal’s full-back, in a similar manner to Suárez when Liverpool thumped the Gunners.

For Everton’s second goal, Naismith dispossesses Arteta close to the centre circle, the ball is picked up by Kevin Mirallas, who sprays a pass wide to Lukaku in the far right channel. The 20-year-old runs to the edge of the 18-yard box unchallenged, weaves through Arsenal’s defence and drives a stinging shot past the keeper.

Monreal had taken up a decent position alongside the back three, acknowledging Sagna’s advances, but the former Málaga full-back was far too narrow, leaving acres of space for Everton’s striker to run into unopposed and take his tally for the season to 13.

Regardless of what I, or anyone else thinks, Wenger doesn’t see his team as defensively weak. For years he has overlooked the counterattacking problems, seeing the glaring flaws as a by-product of playing beautiful, expansive and attractive football, even if his own players have voiced their concern on the matter. That’s fine, but if you analyse the losses against the top clubs, the same problems arise.

Make no mistake about it, Arsenal, and Wenger, need to lift the FA Cup trophy in May to keep a whole host of critics off their back, followed by a money-spinning splash in the summer transfer market and only then will the defensive flaws be masked. Maybe.