Why Arsenal cannot afford to lose against Chelsea after opening day disaster

Very little has changed at Arsenal in the last 24 months but nobody expected the Gunners to be as abysmal as they were in their opening game of the season against Brentford.

Mikel Arteta’s side just didn’t come to the party, allowing the newly-promoted side to outplay them and record a famous victory in the process.

Arsenal will desperately be looking to turn things around when they face city rivals Chelsea on Sunday. The irony, though, is that both teams are currently heading in opposite directions.

While Chelsea look strong with the addition of Romelu Lukaku and are ready to mount a title challenge, Arsenal seem only good enough for a top-six place.

Day 1 ✅ 📍 Arsenal Training Centre pic.twitter.com/4QfWdsshRZ

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 20, 2021

Another defeat could plunge Arsenal into early crisis

This is a fixture that has always proved to be very tricky and its unpredictability could give the Gunners a bit of hope.

After all, Arsenal defeated Chelsea home and away in the Premier League last season and an upset is always possible in football. But that is just one way to look at it.

Another permutation is that the Blues could click into gear, with Lukaku providing a ruthless edge up front. Should that happen, the Gunners will definitely be in serious trouble.

But no matter which Chelsea side turns up, Arteta and Arsenal cannot afford to lose this game. The Gunners are currently at their lowest ebb and another defeat could plunge them into an early-season crisis.

New week. New focus. Let's get to work 💪 pic.twitter.com/K3BLmJiExk

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 16, 2021

Arteta losing support of fans

Twelve months ago, Arteta had the backing of Arsenal fans. The same cannot be said presently because no one can tell what exactly the Spaniard intends to do.

Signings have been disorganized, while the team has experimented with several systems rather than finding one that works and sticking to it.

During his press conference ahead of the Chelsea game, Arteta defended himself by insisting real Arsenal fans see what he’s doing. The truth, though, is that nobody completely understands what he seeks to do.

"We know in order to beat Chelsea, we need to be perfect. Both individually and collectively, we have to have an extraordinary game. The focus is on that. And we are going to need the help of our fans," the Gunners boss said, as quoted by Daily Mail.

"I don't think they [the fans] will be in an apprehensive mood. I think they will be right behind the team.

"They know what we are trying to do. They can see it. And if you can't see it and don't see it, it's because you don't want to and you want to see something different."

Arteta is fast losing the support of the fans and the only way to get them back on his side is to start winning. The renaissance begins now and avoiding defeat against Chelsea would be a good start.