Regardless of the score on Sunday against Brighton, Arsene Wenger finds himself with his head in a vice and it’s getting tighter by the second. A win will show that the North London club are able to beat teams fighting in the relegation zone, something that is almost expected.
It will also confirm that the Emirates club can overwhelm weaker opposition but when they come face to face with any of the other top sides in the division, they fall woefully short and are embarrassed in the process.
A draw or loss would compound Wenger’s issues and go some way to weakening his hold on the manager’s position, which looks precarious at best. If they scored 10 goals, the value of that win would be canceled out by the undeniable facts that they are a massive 30 points behind the Premiership leaders and 8 points behind Chelsea to be in contention for a champions league slot.
They have won one game out of the last five, conceded nine goals and scored just four goals, which is obviously part of the inherent problem with the side. Arsenals goal difference is plus 12, 50 behind City and is the worst of the top six clubs, this is all undeniable but sadly pointless.
It’s clear to everyone that Arsenal are a club in crisis, a crisis that is so bad, that if their current form had been at the beginning of the season, they would be in the bottom half of the table and looking at a relegation battle.
Brighton will no doubt be organised and they aren’t at the Emirates to relieve the pressure. They will see this as the ideal time to play the Gunners and will expect a draw at the very least. Arsenal have all sorts of problems, they are incapable of defending, unable to create opportunities and even more worrying, unable to score.
The nerves will be evident and if the opening goal were to go in Brighton’s favour it could have major repercussions for Wenger. It’s speculative to suggest the outcome for the Frenchman at the end of the season but one feels it’s over and it’s just a case of being told the unfortunate news.
I am sad that this disintegration has happened but in the last three or four seasons, Wenger has applied plasters to wounds that required stitches, he has made do, failed to plan in advance and allowed loyalty to cloud his judgment.
Some will just be happy to see the back of the manager but the transition is always difficult and there are no guarantees that a new appointment will fair any better with the same personnel.
It’s gone beyond a handful of terrible results, Wenger has lost the confidence of his players, his board and the fans. Hardly anyone feels that there is a case for him to stay and perhaps he would have been better advised to quit at the end of last season.
This whole saga is going to end unpleasantly for everyone concerned including the long-suffering fans, change is needed but what kind of change and how long will Arsenal be cast into the footballing wilderness.
