Arsenal look like absolutely dedicated to Dry January as soon as once more.
It’s turning into an annual drawback, the time of yr when the title jitters creep in and their outcomes begin to endure — the most recent instance being Sunday’s 3-2 defeat by Manchester United, which prolonged Arsenal’s winless run within the Premier League to 3 matches, following goalless attracts with Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
With Manchester Metropolis within the rear-view mirror, a sense of dread is rising, but it surely shouldn’t be an entire shock. This can be a development.
Take the Gunners’ final 5 campaigns. In 2021-22, in all competitions, they went 5 video games with no win in January. In 2022-23, it was 4 video games with no victories in a run throughout January and February, whereas the 2023-24 season noticed one win in seven matches between December and January.
The primary few months of 2025 noticed a pricey house loss to West Ham, and cup exits to Manchester United and Newcastle. So, why do Arsenal begin to hunch right now of yr — and might they shake it off this season?
1. Set-piece reliance
‘Set-piece FC’ is the time period broadly utilized by rival followers to mock Arsenal — and there’s some credence to it.
Even opposing gamers have leaned into this narrative, with United’s Amad Diallo replying to a fan on X on Sunday: ‘Your solely hope is nook.’ Put merely, the Gunners are over-reliant on set-pieces.
But once more, Arsenal look like blowing up in January. It’s three league video games with no win for the Gunners following defeat by Manchester United on Sunday
Mikel Merino celebrates scoring for Arsenal on Sunday – but it surely was yet one more set-piece aim
Throughout all competitions, from the beginning of the marketing campaign to the tip of December, 31 per cent of Arsenal’s objectives got here from set-pieces (18 objectives of 59). That has climbed to 53 per cent throughout January (eight objectives of 15). On Sunday, Arsenal’s scrappy second aim, transformed by Mikel Merino, got here from a nook.
After they have confronted adversity, desperately needing a aim from someplace, wherever, it has typically been a nook which has proved the answer. However when that properly dries up, the Gunners wrestle, as highlighted by the goalless attracts in opposition to Liverpool and Forest who repelled their set-piece menace.
The Reds nullified it by decreasing Arteta’s males to a mere three corners, whereas Forest needed to cope with 9 however have been well-equipped to take action with highly effective, combative centre halves.
Each staff is conscious of the menace Arsenal supply at set-pieces. They’ve scored 26 objectives from dead-ball state of affairs throughout all competitions — essentially the most of any staff in Europe’s high 5 leagues. It’s an ideal aim avenue to have, after all, however this over-reliance have to be rectified — and quick.
2. Feeling the warmth
If solely the Arsenal males’s aspect might undertake the mantra of their girls’s star Chloe Kelly.
As she would say: ‘Stress? What strain?’ Besides there’s strain, actual strain which has hampered this staff over the previous couple of years — and will achieve this as soon as once more.
These scars inflicted by Metropolis in earlier seasons are nonetheless uncooked. Essentially the most painful stem from the 2022-23 season, when Arsenal had led the way in which for 248 days earlier than Pep Guardiola’s males overtook them with six video games to go.
Within the following season, Metropolis went on a 23-match unbeaten run from December 10, 2023 to pip their rivals by two factors. Such recollections don’t fade simply. Solely successful main silverware will ease the ache.
There was a sense of apprehension and angst on the Emirates on Sunday — the ache of earlier title-near misses will solely disappear when Arsenal raise silverware
To make issues worse, Arsenal’s title rivals Manchester Metropolis have strengthened considerably in January, including Antoine Semenyo (left) and Marc Guehi
Liverpool had a free hit on the title below Arne Slot final season. They weren’t anticipated to be real contenders and something past a top-four end was seen as a bonus, somewhat than a requirement. They sailed to the title on a tide of joyous momentum.
At Arsenal, there’s a feeling of having to win the Premier League, not eager to win it. It’s make or break, having completed as runners-up for 3 consecutive seasons.
Plus, Metropolis have gone massive within the January window. Their signings of Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi are a press release of intent: they’re going all out to attempt to journey up Arsenal as soon as once more.
There was a sense of apprehension and angst on the Emirates on Sunday, but additionally in quite a lot of different house video games this season. Within the minutes main as much as Tolu Arokodare’s equaliser for Wolves on December 13, nervousness appeared to clean down from the stands and on to the pitch. There was a way of inevitability that the Midlands membership would snatch a aim due to the nervousness across the stadium. A Yerson Mosquera personal aim saved the day for Arsenal but it surely was a close to miss.
Basically this season, a mis-placed cross or two have been eliciting groans, and when the 80-minute mark is handed, hazard feels inescapable.
What makes this weird is the broader context: Arsenal are high of the league, high of the Champions League, and have been unbeaten on the Emirates throughout 16 video games earlier than the United defeat. Most groups would kill for such a report.
Is the strain from their very own followers dragging the gamers down?
Mikel Arteta likes his quirky strategies (pick-pockets, a canine referred to as Win et cetera)… however that is the second for the membership’s psychologist to step up and rid the gamers of the nerves that needn’t be overbearing.
Is the strain from their very own followers dragging Arsenal’s gamers down? It is a difficulty Mikel Arteta wants to contemplate
Arteta has to seek out some options to Arsenal’s issues — in any other case it may very well be yet one more close to miss for the Gunners
3. A well-recognized drawback up entrance
When considered one of your top-scorers is a participant referred to as ‘personal objectives’, there’s clearly an issue in assault. Solely Viktor Gyokeres and Leandro Trossard (5 every) have surpassed Arsenal’s ‘OG’ tally, of 4.
The £64million signing of Gyokeres in the summertime was supposed to resolve Arsenal’s long-running striker drawback, to be the lacking piece of the puzzle. However his arrival has not crammed the gaping gap the Gunners have up entrance (he was dropped on Sunday for Gabriel Jesus) and it has led to the over-reliance on set-piece objectives.
Within the league, Arsenal have a decrease anticipated objectives (xG) complete from open play (25.9), than Metropolis (32.3), Liverpool (29.8), Chelsea (28.5) and United (28.1). In different phrases, they create much less.
That makes for stark studying, and goes some approach to clarify why the north London membership have turn out to be caught of late.
Gyokeres’ struggles are extra evident due to the restricted No 9 choices Arteta has at his disposal. Jesus was nameless on Sunday in his first league begin since January 4, 2025, and Kai Havertz is slowly on his approach again from a knee harm.
That places a heavy load on the Swede, who has been underwhelming. He has but to point out he may be relied on for a aim out of nothing, a chunk of magic. And in terms of syncing together with his team-mates, such a connection continues to be to be cast, as seen by the variety of passes or crosses which have evaded him in latest weeks.
Fingers can’t all be pointed on the strikers, although. The dearth of creativity from the attacking midfielders has been a contributing issue, too.
When their talisman Martin Odegaard shouldn’t be on music, that spark is commonly missing.
Viktor Gyokeres has not solved Arsenal’s issues in entrance of aim in the way in which the membership had hoped
Gabriel Jesus began up entrance in opposition to United however was largely nameless
Eberechi Eze seems to be affected by a insecurity, having made simply 11 league begins this season. He was ineffective on a uncommon begin in opposition to Inter Milan within the Champions League final week, and didn’t have an effect when launched within the second half on Sunday.
Their different attacking midfielder who has magic in his boots is Ethan Nwaneri, however he has been despatched out on mortgage to Marseille.
4. Saka’s worrying stats
The Gunners have lengthy relied on their ‘Starboy’.
Essentially the most constant inventive drive throughout Arteta’s tenure, Bukayo Saka continues to be the route Arsenal flip to most when within the ultimate third.
When it really works, it’s devastating, as seen by his aim involvements in seasons passed by. Saka managed 25 objectives and assists within the 2023-24 season and 16 final time period. Up to now on this marketing campaign, he’s on simply seven. The output has dried up, but the Gunners nonetheless attempt that avenue most of time as a result of it’s so acquainted to them.
Bukayo Saka has been Arteta’s go-to man throughout his Arsenal tenure, however the England star is struggling to provide objectives and assists as constantly as in earlier seasons
It will possibly all really feel somewhat predictable – and subsequently simple to cope with.
Opposition defences typically concentrate on neutralising Saka as the first menace. Two or three gamers sometimes shadow the proficient ahead, which makes his job doubly exhausting.
Growing different inventive avenues is essential. This might alleviate the burden on Saka — but it surely requires his team-mates to step up.
