Arsenal: Is Arteta’s Style Too Cautious?

It is not really his priority. His number 1 goal is even clear and clear: he must win. Offer a new major trophy in Arsenal, while the Gunners have not won the Premier League since 2003-04 and have added to their trophy cabinet only FA Cup or Community Shield during this period. And Mikel Arteta knows it: the clock turns, given the years finished with a little bitter taste in the mouth that accumulates and the means made this summer on the transfer market with nearly 300 million euros invested. But another debate has come up regularly in recent years: have the Gunners become boring?

While the London club had long been a benchmark in this area under the thumb of Arsène Wenger and also seduced the kingdom during the first years of Arteta on the bench, Arsenal has often been pointed for its game “Boring” lately. And this was notably the case during the last exercise when the Gunners met without real nine to conclude the season.

They didn’t really get the meetings. Rest very focused on their game plan while waiting for the opposing errors or to strike on stopped blows where the Gunners have become formidable in the wake of Nicolas Jover. They did not simply work the crowds. “”I really get bored while looking at arsenalhad also launched Paul Scholes on The Overlap. It’s the same thing every week. Without a center-forward and saka that brings spice and talent … I really find it difficult to look at this. There is beautiful football, it’s nice, but it’s not exciting.”.

This summer, the Board d’Arsenal, however, put the double bites to allow Mikel Arteta to satisfy the ambitions of the Gunners. No executive is gone and beautiful people landed on the banks of the Thames (Editor’s note: Viktor Gyökeres, Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze…). But for the moment, the observation is identical. After winning its first two games, Arsenal is certainly third. But the show is not really there.

A stat illustrates this minimalist side. The London club, still as an expert on these game phases, is second in the championship with regard to the “expected goals” on kicks arrested behind Chelsea. On the other hand, it is only before the penalty for the “expected goals” in the game. So Arsenal, the caricature of the old-fashioned English game? We are obviously not there. Arsenal does not swing long balls, and is content to purr more while waiting for the opportunity. But it is still a funny paradox when you know the recent history of the Gunners.

Against Liverpool on the last day and while Artata had to compose without many pillars (Editor’s note: Bukayo Saka, his captain Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz), Arsenal still disappointed by delivering a shock without sparks. And behind it, the criticisms were shot. “”I don’t want to insult Arsenal, but their style of football is so boring to lookR, A L first Peter Peter Match, L’andcien Garder garden de Estern Devented, based on the Violalany, and Franklany, bianchafly, v Vapolany, and Man Vapolany. It is designed to exploit the mistakes of their opponents while waiting for the set kicks. Then they take their time and slow down the pace of the match. (…) Arsenal brings a unpleasant football style to our sport“.

Petit : “JHe just would like Arsenal to come back to what he was three years ago “

An uncompromising observation. But he is not the only one to think so. For Talksport, Manu Petit did not hide his frustration either in the face of the too pragmatic side of his former club. “”I sometimes bored, also recognized the one who played three seasons at Arsenal. And I just would like Arsenal to come back to what he was three years ago, when Arteta played magnificent football, offensive football, with passes forward. There was speed and superb movements in the last third of the field at any time, and it was very difficult to defend because the danger came from everywhere. Now, it’s rather: I pass the ball to you, you send it back to me, I pass it back … And even some players are starting to get bored on the field “.

Faced with the pressure and while oxygen was scratched with the heights of the Premier League, Arsenal and Mikel Arteta may have sacrificed their DNA a little too much on the altar of the results. And what made their charm. But the balance between the need to perform and the desire to make a good game is not always obvious to find. Especially when you run after the titles for so long …