**Arsenal has struggled to score in open play over the last few weeks, but is that due to the mental handbrake being applied?**
Professional sports is 90 percent above the shoulders and for Arsenal, one of their biggest problems might be mental.
Over the last two Premier League games, the Gunners have been met with stubborn resistance in Fulham and Everton, and both times [Mikel Arteta's side was forced to settle for a draw](https://paininthearsenal.com/arsenal-a-victim-of-its-own-success-01jf99nearqm).
Why? Because despite dominating both contests, when it came to the final third, the Gunners became toothless and looked out of ideas.
But how much of that is down to what both Fulham and Everton were doing defensively, and how much of it was down to the Gunners being "mentally defeated" every time they went forward?
When Arsenal consistently goes forward and is repelled each time, that eats away at the confidence that the next time, you will break through. Against Everton, the Gunners didn't even look like scoring, with the mental hurdle of facing a dominant defensive set-up proving too hard to overcome.
Relying on moments of brilliance in those circumstances, Arsenal's key weapons in Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli couldn't find a way through.
For Arteta, his team's mentality when it comes to the final third has a lot to do with its recent failures.
"A lot," Arteta said via [arsenal.com](https://www.arsenal.com/news/every-word-mikels-pre-palace-press-conference?utm_source=arsenaldotcom&utm_medium=embedded-article&utm_campaign=news). "Actually, making it happen and believing it can happen again, creating the fear in the opposition that a player or two can deliver that… a player can became, it’s easy to say predictable, I know what he’s going to do, but actually stopping what he’s going to do is something else."
Arsenal FC v Everton FC - Premier League | Alex Pantling/GettyImages
With Arsenal so Saka-centric when it goes forward, as Thierry Henry stated earlier in the week, all teams have to do is shift to Bukayo's side to nullify him, as the Gunners don't have trust or confidence that Martinelli or whoever is on the other flank that they can be a difference-maker.
Meet the mental block, folks.
Instead of giving Martinelli ample chances, the Gunners simply go away from the Brazilian in favor of a player they know will give them the best chance at scoring or creating a scoring opportunity because, of course, right?
Up next for Arsenal is Crystal Palace at the Emirates and if the Gunners want to advance to the next stage of the competition, that mental handbrake needs to be lifted.
Otherwise, it will be yet another season that Arteta's team is dumped out of the competition early.
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