At the start of the year, it felt like a matter of time before Arsenal lifted the Premier League title.
It feels like the one the Gunners really want, having come within a whisker on two occasions.
However, in this season, when its really difficult to know how good any Premier League team is, its proving harder to figure out how good the league leaders are.
Their fans hate the term bottling it, but the pressure they find themselves under in the league has been self-inflicted.
Manchester City have some baffling, risky ideas out of possession that frankly leave them vulnerable.
Still, Pep Guardiolas in-possession work is always capable of scoring goals.
Bar set-pieces, it doesnt feel like thats always the case for Artetas men.
With each passing game that is important, bar the Emirates Stadium roaring them on (whilst still groaning in frustration), Arsenal have looked unconvincing since the start of the year, and the loss to Manchester United seems to have hindered them.
Having said that, their defence is so water-tight that they dont lose many games.
That is why its so odd to judge them; they tend to play matches by bringing themselves down to their opponents level and eke out a result.
Nothing should be taken lightly in the Round of 16 of the Champions League, as former Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand has picked up the pieces from Erik ten Hags departure from the German club in the summer.
The affair was a typical European first leg, with both teams afraid to take risks and ensure they still have a chance in the second match.
This tactical analysis focuses on Arsenals shortcomings in possession and why they looked a little jagged, as well as Leverkusens setup compared to Arsenals.
Bayer Leverkusen V s Arsenal Lineups & Formations
1a 1
Mikel Arteta started in a 4-3-3 with Jurriën Timber at right full-back and Piero Hincapié on the other side as the left-back.
The centre-back pairing of Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba made up the rest of the defence.
In midfield,
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