Panic on the streets of north London as Arsenal's woes deepen in January.
The Manchester City juggernaut that has carried Liverpool to their recent title wins might have distracted us from the fact that, for champions, there will always be difficult times ahead. Pep Guardiola would attest to this, pointing out that it isn't supposed to be easy. The evidence of this is plain to see at Arsenal, where Mikel Arteta's team are struggling to gain momentum.
A season ago, Liverpool tried to follow up their serene campaign with the title and found themselves wrestling with doubts. Similarly, Arteta's men face similar concerns now that Manchester United have upset them 3-2 at the Emirates. This is the fourth time this season Arsenal have found themselves in contention for the Premier League, and a familiar pattern is beginning to emerge.
In January alone, Arsenal have won just once over seven games, with their only success coming against Leeds next Saturday. The numbers don't lie; they've scored just five goals between Leandro Trossard and Viktor Gyökeres, joint top scorers so far this season – a historically low total for such a period.
The lack of xG in Sunday's match against Manchester United highlights the problem - goals are not coming from open play. Instead, these games are passing like that dull, grey fog of 2021-22, where Arsenal found themselves five without a win in January. We're now halfway through February and the season isn't even at its midpoint.
The concern is not whether Arteta's team will drop off again - every champion must face this challenge - but whether they have what it takes to adapt to adversity. Manchester City has shown Pep Guardiola can navigate these difficult times, so too may Arsenal if their current leadership can find the resolve to push through this winter's bleakness.
Arsenal are four points clear of the chasing pack with 15 games left in the season; all eyes now will be on whether they're good enough to see out the title.
The Manchester City juggernaut that has carried Liverpool to their recent title wins might have distracted us from the fact that, for champions, there will always be difficult times ahead. Pep Guardiola would attest to this, pointing out that it isn't supposed to be easy. The evidence of this is plain to see at Arsenal, where Mikel Arteta's team are struggling to gain momentum.
A season ago, Liverpool tried to follow up their serene campaign with the title and found themselves wrestling with doubts. Similarly, Arteta's men face similar concerns now that Manchester United have upset them 3-2 at the Emirates. This is the fourth time this season Arsenal have found themselves in contention for the Premier League, and a familiar pattern is beginning to emerge.
In January alone, Arsenal have won just once over seven games, with their only success coming against Leeds next Saturday. The numbers don't lie; they've scored just five goals between Leandro Trossard and Viktor Gyökeres, joint top scorers so far this season – a historically low total for such a period.
The lack of xG in Sunday's match against Manchester United highlights the problem - goals are not coming from open play. Instead, these games are passing like that dull, grey fog of 2021-22, where Arsenal found themselves five without a win in January. We're now halfway through February and the season isn't even at its midpoint.
The concern is not whether Arteta's team will drop off again - every champion must face this challenge - but whether they have what it takes to adapt to adversity. Manchester City has shown Pep Guardiola can navigate these difficult times, so too may Arsenal if their current leadership can find the resolve to push through this winter's bleakness.
Arsenal are four points clear of the chasing pack with 15 games left in the season; all eyes now will be on whether they're good enough to see out the title.
I'm not too worried about Arsenal right now, tbh... sure they're struggling, but think about it - Pep Guardiola is the master of navigating these kinds of tough times at Manchester City! 
And let's be real, Arteta's team are still four points clear of the chasing pack... that's got to count for something 
. Maybe this winter blues thing will turn out to be just a normal fluctuation in their form? We've seen it before, and they always bounce back! 
The lack of goals might seem like a big concern, but what if they're just saving up for the good stuff later on? 
Who knows, maybe we'll see a resurgence in their scoring power soon? 
i mean, pep guardiola's team just got distracted by man city and look what happened to lpool 
now it's arteta's turn to deal with this. 5 goals in like 7 games? yikes that's a low total 
& they can't even score from open play, talk about a goal-scoring drought 
but u know what? i still got faith in them 
They're so close to the top, and I think they can totally pull it off... but at the same time, they've been having a pretty rough patch lately, right? 
Like, seriously, who is scoring all these goals? Leandro Trossard and Viktor Gyökeres are like the only ones even getting any points. It's crazy! 
I mean, Arteta's team has been in this situation before, so it's not like they're completely doomed or anything... but on the other hand, they can't keep relying on their opponents to mess up, you feel? 
I guess we'll just have to wait and see if they can turn it around... or maybe they won't, idk? 
Mikel Arteta's tactics are getting old, and the lack of goals is just embarrassing at this point 
. It's like they're stuck in some kind of Premier League Groundhog Day - same problems, same solutions 
. They're so close to the title, but it feels like they're running on empty 
️. Can't wait to see if they can pull it together or if they'll continue to disappoint 
.
also pep guardiola is so calm and collected all the time i wish i could be as chill when im playing league of legends lol
. And with Manchester United giving them a scare like that, you can bet everyone's eyes are on the title now 
. I'm hoping they've got the resolve to push through this winter blues... fingers crossed 
. I mean, come on, five goals from two strikers all season? That's not exactly inspiring 
. They need to find a way out of this funk ASAP or they'll be sleeping with the fishes 
. The stats are against them and it's hard to see them overcoming their current drought in goal-scoring 
️. Maybe Pep Guardiola can offer some wisdom from his experience, but for now, it's anyone's game 
. If they can't create chances from open play, what does that tell you about their team's overall quality? They're not just struggling to score, they're struggling to even participate in games. That's a bigger issue than just "they're going through a tough patch".
. They've been a bit inconsistent all season and this is just another bump in the road 
. But what's worrying me is that it seems like they're stuck in a rut 
. Can they break free from this dull, grey spell and find their form again? 
. They've only scored a bunch of goals in open play so far, which doesn't bode well for their chances. I'm not gonna lie, my gut's telling me they might struggle to adapt if things don't turn around soon 
. I'm not saying they won't win the title, but what if they need to fail in order to prove something? The stats don't add up, and I'm onto this!