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#3 Not using substitutions advantageously
Another common theme throughout Mikel Arteta’s managerial tenure at Arsenal has been the underutilisation of his substitutes. Arteta’s approach towards making substitutions can be summed up by saying “too little, too late”. He has frequently failed to address obvious issues on the field, which has more often than not led to unfavorable results.
In fact, the only half-time substitutions made by Arteta have been due to injury concerns and not tactical adjustments. Fans often complain that Arteta waits too long to make substitutions and that the ones he eventually makes rarely influence the game. One common example includes the introduction of Willian in the final 15 minutes, irrespective of the scoreline.
When players have looked lackluster on the field, Arteta has often allowed them to play on without showing any urgency to make a replacement. Moreover, players who have picked up early yellow cards have been allowed to play till the end of the game with the ever-present risk of being reduced to 10 men; Dani Ceballos’ sending off against Villarreal remains a case in point. The stats are reflective of the same as well; Arsenal have received 10 red cards under Arteta.
#2 Mismanagement of Lacazette, Aubameyang and Pepe
The issue of how to fit Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the same system has been long part of Arsenal’s woes – Unai Emery faced it and was unable to fix it, and it appears to have Arteta scratching his head as well. This mistake hasn’t been due to a lack of trying; Arteta has pretty much played the trio of Aubameyang, Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe across all attacking positions.
Aubameyang was initially used as a left-winger, with Pepe on the right and Lacazette stationed as a #9. Although this looked like the best possible setup, the emergence of Bukayo Saka has made this decision a lot more difficult. Add to this Aubameyang’s injury and Arteta’s faith in Willian and the problem gets a lot more convoluted.
Arteta has tried all possible combinations upfront; he has played Aubameyang as a central striker and fielded Saka and Pepe on both wings. He has also used Lacazette as a false 9, and even played Willian as a false 9!
Although this is the first time in five years that three Arsenal players have scored 10+ goals in a Premier League season, he is yet to identify his preferred front line. Throw Gabriel Martinelli into the mix and the problem is further amplified. The fans have made their voices heard; they want Arteta to play Martinelli and Saka on the wings with Aubameyang through the middle, with Nicolas Pepe and Reiss Nelson as extremely handy backups.
#1 Lack of a creative force in the Arsenal midfield
Creativity in attack has been an issue at Arsenal ever since Mesut Ozil’s rumored falling out at the club. Arsenal have failed to identify his replacement and the impact is there to be seen.
Although one could argue that the board and its owners carry part of the blame for not acquiring a creative midfielder in the summer, they did fill one gap by spending a reported £45 million on Thomas Partey. Although it’s still too soon to make a complete assessment, Partey has shown encouraging signs that he can become the defensive midfielder Arsenal have lacked for the last 15 years.
Arsenal were closely linked with the likes of Houssem Aouar and Nabil Fekir in the summer, both prolific players in their own right. However, Arteta and the club failed to sign any attacking midfielders, while also loaning out Matteo Guendouzi and selling Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Arteta has, however, been very fortuitous, as his loan move for Martin Odegaard worked out well. The Norwegian had a very positive impact on the side, with his eye for a killer pass and the energy he brings to the side. The promotion of Emile Smith Rowe from the academy has also been very promising. The youngster has segued almost perfectly into the starting line-up and is often one of the first names on the team sheet. His ball-carrying ability and work rate has been great to see and he certainly looks like one for the future. However, Odegaard’s move was a loan and reports suggest it would cost in the region of £40 million to sign him permanently. The decision remains to be seen, but it is one that requires a lot of care and thought; Arsenal certainly need a world-class creative midfielder in their ranks if they want to challenge the top clubs in England and Europe.
