Arsenal under Mikel Arteta finds itself at an inflection point. It hasn’t helped that the club is undergoing an unprecedented injury crisis, with a staggering 27 players currently sidelined — the most in the English topflight. This shocking statistic is almost twice as bad as last season’s champions Liverpool and can lead to doubts about squad depth and resilience. The team is headed into the most important part of their season. Serious questions linger around the club’s overall future direction and whether the club’s current manager is the right man to lead them back to success.
The club’s plight is further underscored by a recent string of heart-breaking near misses. Under Arteta’s stewardship, Arsenal overly suffered to get beyond the semis in their previous four seasons. Such a trend would have huge implications for a club used to enjoying the fruits of a deep tradition filled with glorious triumphs. Arsenal last reached the final in what seems to be the golden period of Arteta’s short reign. He led the club to FA Cup glory just six months into his reign. Since then, though, the club hasn’t accumulated any more silverware, and the pressure continues to build for a turnaround in the club’s fortunes.
Injury Woes Plague Arsenal
Mikel Arteta’s side has been incredibly unlucky with injuries, as the loss of multiple first-team regulars has severely impacted their success throughout 2023. Recently the manager has taken to lamenting this situation out in the public, saying things like,
“That’s a starting line-up. And we don’t have them. We haven’t had them for many, many months.” – Mikel Arteta
These injuries have forced the team to search for consistency and cohesion on the pitch. Crucial players have missed significant game time, impacting their ability to compete effectively in both domestic and European competitions.
Without his leading stars on the sidelines, Arteta’s tactical options have turned scarce. Yet for this reason, the team has more often than not parked the bus in games they’d normally expect to roll through. This season is their opportunity to finally claim the second place trophy for the third consecutive year. That result will inevitably disappoint advocates who are hungry for visible home-run wins.
A History of Near Misses
Few supporters are as demoralized over a prolonged period without silverware than Arsenal fans. As kids, they grew up watching the club challenge for major titles on a regular basis. The Gunners had suffered through a series of bad semi-final knockouts since Arteta took the reigns. Now, they’ve been through four straight miss-outs on reaching a final. This streak equals the longest stretch of not making it to a final in the club’s history.
Arteta’s initial success in the FA Cup persuaded the fans that brighter days were ahead. It hasn’t come close to alleviating continued skepticism in some circles about his long-term prospects as manager. His tenure now is defined as much by lost opportunities as it is by victories. The team’s inability to secure trophies has put increased scrutiny on Arteta’s tactics and decision-making processes as they navigate through this challenging period.
Future Uncertain for Key Players
Yet as Mikel Arteta struggles to improve his team’s fortunes on the pitch, he’s forced to contend with even bigger issues off of it. Signature players like Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel have contracts expiring in 2025. Their future has never been more in doubt with continuing rumors of possible departures from the club.
The manager’s main objective remains clear: to win trophies and restore Arsenal’s status as a dominant force in English football. With ongoing injury crises and contract negotiations over the horizon, making it to this goal seems more and more difficult. The heat is on Arteta, you fear, to produce immediate results. The club’s historical success and fervent supporters further intensify these demands.
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