Arsenal are at the do-or-die stage of the season, and another accursed April has spoiled the fun. At the beginning of the month, the bruises from a Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City still were relatively fresh, but their hopes of success across the three biggest competitions remained intact.
Since then, the men of Mikel Arteta proceeded to lose 2-1 against Southampton in the FA Cup quarterfinals, were beaten 2-1 by Bournemouth in the Premier League and then suffered a second successive loss by the same scoreline to the Citizens in a table topping clash at the Etihad Stadium.
Following a 1-0 triumph for City against Burnley at Turf Moor, Arsenal slipped into second spot in the standings for the first time in the new year. They are out of both domestic cup competitions, and the task of winning a first ever Champions League title has become an even more intimidating one.
It is not all doom and gloom, but just how dire is the situation for the side?
The same old psychological story
April is known for being the month where the Gunners can come unstuck. In 2022, it marked the beginning of the bottling of fourth position, then critical defeats came in 2023 and 2024 as City seized the initiative in the title charge. This group, refreshed with the arrival of eight new players in the summer, had the chance to make a statement that the story would be different. But old habits die hard.
Whether or not the showdown with City symbolically decides the title race, it was another missed opportunity for Arsenal to win at a title contending rival in a high-stakes encounter. To doubt that the players care for their profession might be misplaced, but only so much time can pass before people begin to question whether the institution has steel to stand up to adversity, and self-doubt can creep in.
It is also hard to look past the contrasting work from the Citizens in recent weeks. Pep Guardiola is equally famed for finding a functional formula to take his team over the line when it matters most.
He has nailed down trust in Rayan Cherki as a creative powerhouse, while Antoine Semenyo and Jeremy Doku drive attacks down the flanks around Erling Haaland. Rodri and Bernardo Silva have settled in midfield while Abdukodir Khusanov has emerged as the partner for Marc Guehi.
On the other hand, Arteta still seems to be examining what works best for the group in terms of his selection. At the start of the season, faces were fresh, a settled starting eleven had been established, and results were going the way of the Gunners. But ever since the wintry months have hit, the choices of the manager have become more erratic, and his gambles appear to be falling just short of the mark.
Faulty fitness record in key areas
The story of the season for Arsenal has also been tied to availability. Whoever’s fault it is, the club have ended up in another run-in where key players are out for massive matches in the calendar, and Arteta will hope the tide is turning.
An uncreative midfield arrangement was limited against City at Wembley, the second-string selection lost to the Saints in the FA Cup, then four ‘finishers’ were fielded in attack against Bournemouth.
All the while, Bukayo Saka sat out of action, sent back from international duty with England due to fears about his health. It has since been revealed that the winger was struggling with an Achilles problem that flared up after club action in March, and caution has been taken in the last month.
The talismanic attacker was also absent against City at the Etihad, but fans were treated to a new-look lineup in the attacking areas of the pitch. Kai Havertz, who has struggled with hamstring and knee injuries, was the central forward, Eberechi Eze featured from the left wing, and Martin Odegaard operated in tandem with Havertz to lead the press, while bringing more ball security as the ten.
The shaky fitness of Havertz and Odegaard has limited the opportunities to trial such a configuration. Some will rightly suggest that Arteta has displayed a tendency for conservatism until he is pressed to act otherwise, but the manager will welcome the option to use other combinations for the run-in.
The group would also benefit from a full complement of fullback options. Christian Mosquera filled in for Ben White in the second leg of the quarter-final tie against Sporting to shore up the right side of the backline in the absence of Jurrien Timber. The ploy worked, with Piero Hincapie holding down the left of the rearguard, but the progressive capacities of this pairing are somewhat limited.
Riccardo Calafiori is finally coming back into the fold according to Arteta’s latest press conference. If the Italian can stay fit until the end of May, he might help strike a better balance on the left side.
Yet, it could all be too little too late for a team that has been presented with an unfavourable task.
A straight shootout for success?
Newcastle United, Fulham, West Ham and Crystal Palace could all realistically play the role of bogey team once more for the Gunners, dousing their dreams for good. But the same could be said for Everton, Bournemouth or Aston Villa on the part of City, who edged past Burnley with a 1-0 win.
Where City can set themselves apart from their title chasing rivals is in the scoring stakes. The two sides share the same points tally and goal difference, but a superior scoring record has bumped the Citizens into the lead. Their attacking unit is good to go, while Arsenal are in a messier situation.
Arteta’s men have netted 63 times this season in 33 league fixtures, and they are set to barely beat their record of 69 from last campaign despite spending £180 million on three forwards this summer.
In many ways, that development reflects the quality of those attackers. Eze has defined himself as a moments man more than an individual who dominates displays from minute 1 until 90. Noni Madueke is frequently bright without the output to devastate from the right flank, failing to claim the left-wing spot that many saw as being in desperate need of an upgrade after the 2024/25 season.
Upfront, Viktor Gyokeres has grabbed 12 Premier League goals, finding better form in the new year and some critical goals for the team. However, the striker struggles in small spaces and aerial duels, and the absence of truly electric movement has rendered his impact average across the campaign.
Meanwhile, Havertz has shown a much greater capacity to help bring the ball into the final third and more agility off the ball. But his faults as a finisher in the box are well-documented and were visible against City as he coughed up two big opportunities to score for the guests on Sunday, April 19.
But perhaps the biggest problem is Arteta. A manager renowned for demanding defensive discipline, he needs relentless positivity and off-the-cuff creativity more than ever. This systemic side should have sown up the title with their pragmatic approach and switching gears at this stage seems a task that the team would struggle to achieve even if they try. Time will tell if they can dig out of this hole.