Are Fans and the Media Overreacting about Arsenal’s Current Situation?

The start of the Premier League season has certainly been interesting for Arsenal Football Club, to say the least. The North London club has won eight matches in all competitions this season, drawing four times and losing once along the way. Despite this, the media and fans across the country seem convinced that Mikel Arteta & Arsenal are in a dreadful position. Is this really the case?

Mikel Arteta after Arsenal's 2-0 loss to Bournemouth. (Arsenal)

After Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool over the weekend, Roy Keane expressed on Sky Sports that he was ‘worried’ about the team’s mentality and confidence. Meanwhile on Rio Ferdinand Presents, Patrice Evra joked about Arsenal’s current season, saying, “Watching Arsenal is like watching Netflix… you always have to wait for the next season.”

When comparing Arsenal’s current start to last season, there isn’t much to justify the criticism directed at the Mikel Arteta-led side. After 13 matches in all competitions last year, Arsenal had won nine, drawn three, and lost one. These numbers are remarkably similar to their current tally, raising the question of whether the media is simply overreacting about the club’s trajectory and if Arsenal can still make a push to win the league title.

Since the start of this year’s league campaign, it has become clear that Arsenal have struggled with discipline. While some controversial decisions have gone against them, the fact remains that the team has not been able to maintain their composure. We are nine games into the Premier League season, and Arsenal have accumulated three red cards (Declan Rice against Brighton, Leandro Trossard against Man City, and William Saliba against Bournemouth). This means they’ve had a sending off in one-third of their matches. In those three games, Arsenal have failed to secure a win, losing one and drawing the other two.

The lack of level-headedness has proven costly for The Gunners so far this season, but it would be misguided to expect this trend to continue. Last season, Arsenal accumulated only two red cards, and the season before that, they didn’t receive a single one in the league. While the club cannot change the past or recover the points lost in matches where they went down to ten men, I believe it’s safe to say that their discipline will not hinder their title chances moving forward as they will already know to do better.

Declan Rice after being sent off in the Premier League for the first time in his career. (TNT Sports)

Another issue Mikel Arteta’s side has struggled with is injuries. Five players from their starting eleven are either currently injured or have just recently recovered. These players include Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Magalhães, Jurriën Timber, Martin Ødegaard, and Riccardo Califiori. During this period, Arsenal’s on-pitch performances have noticeably dropped, but they’ve still managed to secure results in key games.

Despite the injury challenges, The Gunners remain just five points behind league leaders Manchester City. While this gap may seem insurmountable to some, I believe it’s far from impossible. Almost every Premier League season, we see some teams make a strong start and create a significant point gap between themselves and the other title challengers. However, this gap usually narrows, and I expect this season to be no different. Given that Arsenal has managed to withstand the pressures caused by these injuries to their squad and starting lineup, both fans and players should feel more than relieved to be just five points behind, especially with key players returning.

Taking everything into account, even if you agree that Arsenal’s position, mentality, or season isn’t where it should be, it would be completely inaccurate to assume that they are incapable of recovering and ultimately clinching the Premier League title in May. It is a long season and we are only nine matches into it.

As Arsenal’s players begin to come back from suspensions and injuries, I fully expect the team and coaching staff to cultivate belief in themselves, blocking out the external noise and concentrating on their season. I would be very surprised if we reach the end of the season without Arsenal winning any silverware. A ‘poor’ start to the season, as some pundits have suggested, won’t stop The Gunners or derail their entire campaign.