Arsenal’s season already feels as though it is unravelling, despite having only played three matches. The Gunners followed up last weeks’ defeat to Stoke City with a humiliating 4-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday in a game which showcased everything that is wrong with the club.
Huge sections of the Arsenal support turned on Arsene Wenger last season during another underwhelming campaign before Wenger agreed a two-year extension to his contract over the summer. A strong end to the season and an FA Cup triumph seemed to turn the tide for some fans who were now willing to give him a chance heading into this season, but it already feels as though it has reached fever pitch with huge swathes of angry fans calling for the Frenchman’s head.
There is no need to beat around the bush; Arsenal were embarrassing on Sunday against Liverpool. This was a massive game for Arsenal following their defeat to Stoke City last week and with Liverpool probably being their main rivals for a place in next season’s Champions League, but Arsenal simply didn’t show up. Wenger’s team had no shots on target and could conceivably have lost by six or seven goals if Liverpool had taken their chances.
Fans were again left baffled and bemused by Arsene Wenger’s team selection as he chose to bench summer signing Alexandre Lacazette in favour of Danny Welbeck up front and continued to persist with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at right wing back, meaning that Hector Bellerin has to play out of position on the left. It is a frankly farcical situation and no one in the Arsenal team really seems to know what their role is or where they are supposed to be playing. If you look at the opening goal from yesterday, Oxlade-Chamberlain is running away from the action, oblivious to what is going on behind him and Aaron Ramsey is facing away from play in conversation with the bench, meanwhile Liverpool have won the ball back and are about to score.
There are big problems at The Emirates Stadium and even the returning Alexis Sanchez could not help the cause. The Chilean cut a frustrated figure on Sunday before being withdraw in the second half and it would be no surprise if Arsenal’s star player agitates for a move away from the club in the coming days. Sanchez deserves better, the club deserve better and the fans deserve better.
Arsene Wenger’s odds on being the next Premier League manager to leave his post have been slashed to 12/1 (Sky Bet) and he is now the joint third favourite to lose his job. Considering the league’s longest serving manager only signed a new two year deal a matter of months ago, it shows just how bad things have already gotten that now only Slaven Bilic and Frank de Boer are viewed as more likely to lose their jobs.
Arsenal take on Bournemouth in their next Premier League game, before another massive game away at Chelsea on September 17th. If they lose that, their hopes of competing at the top of the Premier League could be over before they’ve even gotten started.