Arsenal met Manchester City in their third game of the English Premier League. Pep Guardiola named a very strong squad and it was very evident that he needed nothing but a win in that game. Arsenal did not look like a very strong opponent owing to the fact that it lost its first two opening games before the encounter with the defending Champions.
The Gunners lost the game with a huge goal margin of 5-0. There are very many mistakes and blunders that Mikel Arteta made that led to the 5-0 demolition by Manchester City. First of all, the selection of the Arsenal squad was not good at all in some departments. The Manager gave Bernd Leno the nod to be in the goal post despite the fact that he was at fault in the opening two games of the season.
Bernd Leno was constantly moving out of his line and he could not even start a proper ball from the back. This is a clear indication that he was afraid of the game. He was very clumsy and some of the goals were actually his own fault. He had a hand in some of the goals. He could have made some saves because he is a world class player.
He could have allowed Aaron Ramsdale to play in that position. The new goalkeeper was very confident and composed during the week and he managed to keep a clean sheet in his first game. He also made some crucial saves and his skills were of very high quality as compared to the current skills of Bernd Leno.
His coordination with the defence was also a good one. He controlled the defenders very well and that is why he got a clean sheet. Bernd Leno was very vulnerable against Manchester City and it is like he panicked. This is why he allowed five goals to enter into the back of his net under his watch. All the goals were scored on an open play without any penalty.
Another mistake that Mikel Arteta made was in the defence. He used three defenders as centre backs. The Manager played Calum Chambers, Rob Holding and Sead Kolasinac. This was not a good partnership at all because first of all, Sead Kolasinac is a left back and not a centre back. The Manager made a wrong move to play him yet Pablo Mari was on the bench. He really struggled in the game because he is not very familiar and comfortable with that role. This is one of the reasons why the Manchester City forward players outweighed the Gunners.
The Manager also played Cedric Soares in the right back position and he was really struggling. He was like a loop hole and his wing was used to make some attacks. He did not know who to mark and at what point to do the marking. He could have even used Hector Bellerin because he has not yet left the club. This was a very big mistake by the Manager.
Mikel Arteta also made a blunder in the midfield. He only used one natural midfielder and that is Granit Xhaxa, despite the fact that Albert Sambi Lokonga and Mohamed Elneny were on the bench. The Manager was wrong to trust Granit Xhaxa alone in the midfield against the strong Manchester City. The Switzerland captain disappointed the team after his nasty tackle that led to a red card. He was sent off in the first half.
The club conceded three goals after he was sent off. He also made the manager to make some changes which he never anticipated. Mohamed Elneny was introduced to take his place after Bukayo Saka who was promising was sacrificed. He did not perform very well and he was outweighed by the Manchester City midfielders. He could have even introduced Albert Sambi Lokonga because he is the one who has been playing in the midfield. He is so far the only midfielder who has shown that he is passionate about how he plays. Mikel Arteta just ignored him for no reason yet he could have been the player who could have changed things around.
He could have partnered Albert Sambi Lokonga with another player so that the midfield could be packed. He gambled with his squad and he faced the consequences of his actions. He should now try his best and sign a very good midfielder before the end of the transfer window. His actions led Arsenal to the worst record ever in the history of the club. It even put Arsenal at the last position in the Premier League table. The club will now go to the international break while in the last position.
The other mistake that Mikel Arteta did is that he used a tactic that Pep Guardiola is used to. He was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City and therefore he knows him very well. He could have come with a different strategy since he knows the style of play of Manchester City. The Arsenal fans were angered and there are some footages that showed how some of the fans started leaving the stadium even before the end of the first half.
To make matters worse, some of the fans were also spotted while cheering the fourth goal of Manchester City. This is a clear indication that they are also tired of the current management of Arsenal. There is no doubt that Mikel Arteta is not the best manager to win trophies with Arsenal. The club needs a more experienced Manager who can turn things around and deliver good results to the club.
The club can do well if another person takes the Managerial role. Chelsea sacked Frank Lampard when things were not going on well and the club went for Thomas Tuchel who is a more experienced Manager. He has been able to deliver immensely to the club and he has so far delivered the UEFA Champions League trophy and the UEFA Super Cup. Arsenal should also make a bold step and look for a manager who will get the club out of the relegation zone and make it a more competitive club again by bringing back the glory days.