As in any race to the highest, whether or not it’s to turn into Premier League champions or Prime Minister, it’s at all times very important to grab management of the centre floor.
Sir Keir Starmer, an Arsenal fan, is aware of all too nicely about that. And now, because the title race hurtles in direction of its thrilling closing rely, Mikel Arteta’s facet have relinquished their grip on it too.
Arsenal’s lack of command and creativity down the center is proving one of many key causes their pursuit of a primary league crown in additional than 20 years is threatening to derail, with two fierce London derbies arising in opposition to Tottenham on Sunday and Chelsea every week later.
With two wins from their final seven Premier League video games, Arsenal are wobbling once more – will they fall quick in a fourth successive title race?
There have been warning indicators for a number of weeks now – this isn’t the staff that received 10 in a row within the autumn, whereas preserving eight consecutive clear sheets. Whereas they continue to be imperious in Europe, the Gunners have been came upon within the league, registering 4 attracts and a house defeat by Manchester United because the flip of the yr.
So what’s occurred? Why have they slumped once more? And can it’s terminal to their possibilities of lastly profitable the Premier League? Right here, JAMES SHARPE reveals what’s actually happening – and it is a distinctly ‘central’ drawback.
Arsenal have received simply two of their final seven league matches, and drew with backside membership Wolves on Wednesday
Mikel Arteta’s facet should arrest their slide or face being overwhelmed to the Premier League title for the fourth season in a row
Since New 12 months’s Day, Arsenal’s gamers haven’t offered a single help from outdoors the field throughout the width of the six-yard space and created solely 5 possibilities. Three of them have come by way of Declan Rice.
Throughout the primary 19 video games of the season, seven assists got here from that space of the pitch by way of numerous possibilities created stretching all the best way again into their very own half.
Arsenal’s assists within the Premier League from the opening day to the tip of 2025, together with a number of from central areas
…and the way it has modified because the begin of 2026 for the Gunners
It was after Arsenal’s FA Cup victory over Wigan that Arteta admitted he was involved the accidents to his midfield would possibly have an effect on the run-in.
With out the craft of captain Martin Odegaard to choose locks in deep defences, or the clever motion and work charge of Kai Havertz or Mikel Merino, Arteta has been proved proper.
It’s why he’s been compelled to make use of Bukayo Saka in a central function during the last two video games, a brand new place for him however one he is already confirmed he can thrive in.
It didn’t take him lengthy in opposition to Wolves to time a run into the field to move Arsenal in entrance after which play the kind of splitting cross the facet are so missing that led to an amazing likelihood for Gabriel Martinelli.
Bukayo Saka has taken on a brand new function within the final two matches, and each scored and performed a defence-splitting cross to Viktor Gyokeres within the draw with Wolves
After Saka limped off with quarter-hour to play and with Arsenal clinging to a one-goal lead -a widespread state of play for them in current months – they created only a single likelihood.
Even for the second purpose simply after the hour, it was centre again Gabriel who performed the form of cross their present midfielders are hardly ever making an attempt themselves.
Left again Piero Hincapie nearly stayed onside and completed off his first Arsenal purpose. It had appeared sufficient at that stage to take the leaders seven factors away from Manchester Metropolis.
Piero Hincapie (5) arcs his run to remain onside and end off a defence-splitting cross from centre again Gabriel
Opponents are working laborious to dam off Arsenal’s passing lanes and pressure them into large areas, however they should be a lot braver on the ball. Take this instance from the primary half in opposition to Brentford.
Arsenal break ahead by Declan Rice and though Brentford are packing the centre of the park, each Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke make runs in behind.
As a substitute of making an attempt to slide both of them by, Rice knocks the ball out large, Arsenal lump the ball into the field and Brentford head it clear.
Viktor Gyokeres (14) and Noni Madueke (prime centre) made runs however Declan Rice (in possession) performed the ball out large left as an alternative
Eberechi Eze, beginning within the No 10 function in that recreation, didn’t play a single cross into the field for a team-mate. It was no marvel Arteta introduced him off at half-time for Odegaard, who was brighter and injected power however couldn’t encourage victory.
It’s turn into a typical theme. The variety of instances Arsenal string greater than 10 passes collectively and finish it with both a shot or contact within the field has nearly halved.
The passes performed into the field by Arsenal’s midfielders have fallen drastically because the flip of the yr.
Arsenal are averaging three fewer pictures per recreation in 2026 in comparison with the primary half of the season and sit Tenth within the division for makes an attempt on purpose, and the anticipated targets (xG) figures the Gunners are racking up has dropped from 1.87 per recreation to 1.36, the Tenth-worst within the division in that point, solely simply greater than Fulham and Leeds.
A drop of 0.51 per recreation won’t appear to be a lot however over a season that provides as much as 20 fewer targets. And when throughout the course of Premier League historical past every purpose equates, give or take, to some extent, that may make an enormous distinction in a title race selected the best of margins.
All the things about their capitulation at Wolves on Wednesday, once they grew to become the primary table-toppers in Premier League historical past to squander a two-goal result in a facet within the relegation zone, spoke of a staff going into its shell proper when champions want to face tall.
Goalkeeper David Raya went from taking part in out from the again within the first half to humping it lengthy within the second. Arsenal’s possession dropped from 58 per cent within the opening interval to having much less of the ball than one of many worst groups in Premier League historical past.
They received the ball into the Wolves penalty space 20 instances within the first half, and 4 within the second. Their cross success charge plummeted from 86 per cent to 76 per cent, and from 82 to 70 within the closing third.
They’ve now squandered leads in opposition to Manchester United, Brentford and Wolves inside their final 5 video games. Solely Crystal Palace and West Ham have dropped extra factors in 2026 than Arsenal’s seven.
Arteta is a risk-averse supervisor obsessive about percentages, and Arsenal are paying the value for sitting on their leads and never getting into for the kill.
That character can be put to the take a look at once more this weekend in opposition to a Tottenham facet beneath new boss Igor Tudor whose groups are famend for an intense press. He asks his gamers to rotate and interchange positions, too, which can, with a squad nonetheless attending to grips together with his model, result in gaps to use.
Arteta simply wants somebody to search out them. That’s the place the lesser-spotted Christian Norgaard may present the reply.
The midfielder has performed simply 32 minutes of league soccer this season – because it stands his 4 appearances wouldn’t mechanically qualify him for a winner’s medal even when Arsenal do maintain on – however in opposition to Wigan confirmed how progressive he could be on the ball (albeit in opposition to a facet struggling in League One). He performed a sensational cross excessive for Gabriel Jesus to web Arsenal’s fourth.
Towards Wolves, however, a fatigued Martin Zubimendi – who has performed 2,270 league minutes, or 71 instances as a lot as former Brentford captain Norgaard – regularly handed sideways every time he received the ball.
Christian Norgaard’s cross map in opposition to Wigan Athletic within the FA Cup (taking part in left to proper)
And Martin Zubimendi’s in opposition to Wolves within the Premier League, exhibiting a much more sideways method
Christian Norgaard is at risk of not mechanically getting a medal even when Arsenal do win the title, as he has nonetheless solely performed simply 4 instances within the league for a complete of 32 minutes
Is it any marvel that Zubimendi, who has been so key to Arsenal’s title problem, appeared laboured when you think about how a lot he has been requested to play?
Likewise, full again Jurrien Timber, who was on hearth within the first half of the marketing campaign however has dropped off not too long ago and struggled in opposition to Wolves, has racked up 2,182 minutes whereas his back-up, Ben White, has performed simply 411.
Now begins the largest three months of Arteta’s tenure. If Arsenal are to carry their nerve, he wants to choose the gamers in a position to wrestle again some management.
