Pathetic Gunners lose again!

Arsenal 1-2 Swansea

Arsenal produced yet another woeful performance on Wednesday night, as they lost more ground in the title race and were roundly booed off the pitch by their long suffering supporters.

The level of performance in their defeat to Manchester United at the weekend had fallen far below the standards Gunners fans would expect but with Arsene Wenger failing to respond in the appropriate manner, it shouldn’t have surprised so many that Arsenal produced a display once again lacking in hunger, desire and commitment.

Wenger had simply brushed aside the defeat to Manchester United, seemingly suggesting it was just one of those games and that it was no source of embarrassment to lose against one of the worst United teams in history, who also happened to have 14 players out injured. The manager was at it again on Wednesday night, declaring that Swansea had scored from their only two shots on target and therefore it was just one of those unlucky games that comes along every once in a while where one side is all over the other, but somehow ends up losing. This was a Swansea side that had rested 6 players!

Maybe Wenger doesn’t realise, but Arsenal fans have had enough of being spoken to as if they do not know a thing about the game they love. This was no stroke of luck, this has been a long time coming. In fact ever since the Gunners beat Manchester City just before Christmas, their level of performance has been abysmal. But the manager has refused to address this glaring issue and therefore performances have stayed at the same level. On Wednesday night, there was no reaction from any of the players, they simply turned up and performed at the same level once again. Why change when the manager seems happy to pass off every bad result with an excuse? Sometimes it’s the referee, sometimes it is lady luck or the other side cleverly interrupting play. Well, sometimes it’s just the manager and the culture at the club.

There can now be no doubt about it, this club is going nowhere. Stuck in an endless cycle of finishing in the top four, which incidentally might just come to an end this season if results keep going the way they are. Wenger is allowed to do as he pleases, answering to no one, not even the supporters who cannot understand or defend his decisions any more. The glaring example being the decision to not sign one single outfield player in the summer transfer window which has now been confirmed as the ludicrous decision we all knew it was when the window slammed shut at the end of August.

Joel Campbell proved just how illogically the manager’s decision making has become, with his performance against Swansea. Having performed so well throughout the campaign, many could not understand why Campbell had suddenly stopped featuring in the starting eleven during recent weeks. In fact against Manchester United Wenger elected to bring on the inexperienced Alex Iwobi instead of Campbell, despite the Gunners desperately needing a goal. Against Swansea, Campbell showed just what Arsenal had been missing. His work rate and ability to take on opposition defenders was in stark contrast to anything Walcott or Oxlade-Chamberlain had offered in recent weeks and it was no surprise that the Costa Rican was the one to break the deadlock.

Arsenal have been struggling for goals in recent weeks primarily as a result of a lack of movement in the final third. If the attacking players remain static they are easy to defend against and offer no forward options for the man on the ball. Campbell’s run in behind the Swansea defence created an option for Alexis Sanchez to clip the ball over the top and into his path. The Costa Rican’s finish was sublime as he steered the ball home when at full stretch. The fact Wenger then took Campbell off when the Gunners needed a goal was ridiculous and the crowd made their feelings clear, booing vociferously.

Having scored the opening goal the Gunners hadn’t kicked on to get the second and instead threw the game away. First the defence stood static as they waited for the referee to blow his whistle for a foul on Ozil. But the referee never did and as the ball was played through to Routledge, Mertesacker turned his back on the ball and then just watched as Routledge rolled the ball into the net.

There was no reaction in the second half either as Swansea showed more determination at every opportunity as Arsenal enjoyed more possession but did very little with it. In previous seasons, the Gunners would lay siege on the away goal, creating chance after chance, until eventually, more often than not, the pressure would tell and a goal would be scored. Over the past few weeks, Arsenal have lacked ideas in the attacking third and as a result the goals have dried up. There is no movement, or application to what they are doing and clearly no instructions from the bench, as the same moves are repeated over and over again, achieving the same results.

When Swansea took the lead as Arsenal’s defenders stood static once more and Petr Cech flapped at a free kick delivery, no one in the stadium really believed the Gunners would get back into the game, least of the all the players themselves.. They deserved to be booed off, the title race was wide open and the championship has been there for the taking since the start of the season, but the players have proven themselves to be too gutless to seize the opportunity presented to them. Not one Arsenal fan can say they are looking forward to Saturday’s North London derby as in all likelihood Tottenham will do a real number on the Gunners. Arsene Wenger should hang his head in shame, all Arsenal supporters will probably be doing the same come the final whistle on Saturday!