Some things in life never change. Even when one is hopeful that certain things could change for the better, they end up being disappointed at the inertia. According to the laws of physics, inertia is the tendency to remain unchanged—and some things give the impression that they are in a perpetual state of inertia.
Arsenal could be labelled as one of those things; a true entity of mediocrity under the pretence of title-challengers. Every season, they somehow manage to sneak into the fourth spot. Thanks to the mess that Spurs and Man City made last year, the Gunners quite unbelievably finished 2nd.
However, if the quagmire of the final few games of last season doesn’t happen again this season, then Arsenal are set to finish fourth—and here are 4 reasons why…
#1 Lack of defensive stability
Ask any Arsenal fan as to whom they regard the best defender in the world and Laurent Koscielny is the name most of them will spill out. Even though the claim might be a tad bit biased, it can’t be denied that the Frenchman is an excellent defender, someone who has held the defence of Arsenal for a very long time now.
However, defending is an art that can’t be mastered with individualistic brilliance. It requires collective cohesion of each player in the team, especially the backline and the midfielder guarding it, to mould a strong defensive unit.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, they just don’t have that aforementioned solidity. The Gunners have conceded the second-most goals among the top 7 clubs in the league with 28 goals, only 2 less than Liverpool. If one individually names each Arsenal defender, each player will be more than decent; be it the potentially world-class Hector Bellerin or the industrial Shkodran Mustafi, Arsenal have quality players at the back.
But when it comes to defending, quality players don’t ensure a quality backline.
#2 No real world class midfield general
Before most of you lose your minds and call me deluded, let me make it clear that a midfield general is someone who links the defence to the attack and I don’t regard Mesut Ozil as a midfield general simply because he plays too far forward to dictate the tempo of the system.
When Granit Xhaka was bought by the Gunners, the fans were hopeful that the search for a real midfield general had ended. And, in a way, it has. On his day, Xhaka can be one of the finest players in the world, a Xabi Alonso-esque midfielder who could make inch-perfect tackles in one moment and then a play an astute long ball at the very next.
However, he is yet to reach his best and given his tendency to see red cards in games, it will be some time before he could be regarded as world class. The Swiss’ international’s lack of composure and control has often seen him get into trouble.
For instance, he missed the game against Chelsea—a match where his services were the most needed to counter the behemoth that N’Golo Kante is. But he was out due to suspension and Arsenal lacked a true general.
Arsene Wenger tried to make-do with Francis Coquelin, but the Frenchman looked more like a plastic tape covering over a crack on a concrete wall.
#3 Goalkeeping conundrum
The story of Bela Guttman’s curse on Benfica is a very famous one. For the ones who don’t know what I am talking about, Guttman was the manager of the Benfica side that won two European Cups in a row in 1961 and 1962.
When he asked for a pay-rise after winning the second European Cup, the club board refused it and he subsequently left the club fuming. In his rage, as the story goes, he cursed the club before leaving, saying: “Not in a 100 years from now will Benfica ever be European champions.”
Since then, the Portuguese club have participated in 5 Champions League and 3 Europa League final—and lost all of them.
It seems as though Arsenal are suffering from somewhat of a similar curse: the Jens Lehmann curse. Even though the German never really put a curse on the club, the Gunners have never really had a goalkeeper as consistent as the former Germany international ever since he left.
Be it the joke that Manuel Almunia was, or the mediocrity that Wojciech Szczesny oozed, or the decline in form that Petr Cech is displaying right now (his error allowed Cesc Fabregas to score Chelsea’s third goal last night), the goalkeeping conundrums always seems to find its way to the Emirates.
#4 Fourth spot satisfaction
And this is well and truly the real reason as to why Arsene Wenger’s side will finish fourth this season. No club has ever exuded a sense of great satisfaction and relief at finishing fourth like Arsene Wenger’s men.
Every season they start with the expectation of winning the title, but by February, a string of poor results mean that finishing top four also becomes a matter of doubt. Once the doubt creeps in, even a fourth spot finish feels like a great achievement—and this is the mentality that has hurt Arsenal so much.
With the players and the financial balance that they have, Arsenal should be challenging for the title every year. But it ends up being the same story, just in a different year.
A great start. Check. Some good performances. Check. Midseason slump. Check. Finishing fourth after slump. Still to be checked, but it sure looks that will be the case once again.
Also Read: Arsene, thanks for the memories but it's time to say goodbye
