NFL
By: Edwin Duodu
On February 2nd, a powerful and dominant opening 44 minutes saw Arsenal up 1-0 against the home side, Wolverhampton Wanderers. After a couple of chances in which the visiting team hit the post twice and had a goal disallowed, Nicolas Pepe put the side ahead after 32 minutes. However, Arsenal seemed to only defend appropriately until the 45th minute, where everything that could go wrong went wrong. After making contact in the box, David Luiz was sent off once again after inadvertently bringing down Wolves forward Willian Jose. The red card was deemed harsh by most but ultimately ended in the same result. Ruben Neves made no mistake about it, as he brought his side level at 1-1 before the half. The game would only get worse, as Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno was shown a red card after handling the ball outside his box. Two red cards, nine men down in the second half, and Arsenal would lose at the Molineux 2-1. It was a terrible loss, but we have to ask, is this team disciplined enough to win games, and have they been in the past?
Arsenal leads the Premier League this season with five red cards. They also have a total of nine red cards since December 26, 2019. Arsenal hired Mikel Arteta for a change and to instill a new culture within the club. He’s here, but has anything changed? Are the players responding to the manager’s wishes at the moment enough to build and sustain a winning culture? Is Gabriel’s red card against Southhampton an indicator of a winning environment? Maybe, considering he is relatively new to the club and has been a standout performer for Arsenal in the past. But how about Pepe’s unnecessary headbutt to Leeds United player Ezgjan Alioski, that eventually saw a 0-0 draw at the Elland Road? Granit Xhaka, who has been under scrutiny from fans, added more to his inconsistent resume in an Arsenal shirt by grabbing Ashley Westwood by the throat in a game against Burnley. The match ended up being the Gunner’s first home defeat to Burnley since 1959. We also can’t forget about David Luiz, one of the more error-prone players since joining the club in August 2019. Terrible positioning and wrongly-timed tackles have prompted the experienced defender to concede six penalties and three red cards. No other player has done more in that category than David Luiz, receiving red cards against Manchester City, Chelsea, and Wolves.
Talent can only save Arsenal for so long. It probably papered over the cracks that eventually led to Arsenal’s 14th FA Cup trophy last season and Arteta’s first as a manager. It definitely did in the match against Wolves, in which the team put up a dominant display, offering a high pressing up the pitch and goal-scoring threat opportunities throughout the first half. Almost throughout the entire half. It seems that the mentality and discipline within the locker room haven’t changed for years now at the Emirates. The 2020/21 season has been a weird one by no means, but the tendency to lose focus during games still lingers at Arsenal. If we take away the five red cards this season, the team still ties for the most since 2019. The actions this season have not been a coincidence, rather another wake-up call. One thing is for sure. Although the Gunners have improved in some aspects of the field, Mikel Arteta needs to find a way to strengthen the system he has in place and eliminate the error-prone mindset plaguing the club. If he doesn’t, these problems will soon become inexorable, keeping the North London side from ever moving forward in the future.
