It was a night to forget for Arsenal who lost in a penalty shootout and crashed out of the Europa League. While it would be simple to look at this as a failure for both the club and Mikel Arteta, there are more layers to this event. It is important to look at this exit from a number of different angles to understand where the Gunners find themselves.
In any of the other seasons where the north Londoners took part in this competition, the result would have been considered a disaster. But this season, things are different as the club has a chance to win their first Premier League title in almost two decades. But what about continental success?
The Chance For Silverware
A lot has been said about how Arsenal have not notched up any major European silverware. Whether that is true or not, will depend on what you define as a major trophy. For example, they are one of the few English clubs to have won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
This is widely considered to be the predecessor to the UEFA Cup which is now the Europa League. But since the name and the way the tournament organised was different, the Gunners are not credited with winning a major trophy. This is not to be considered a defence of the club but just about stating facts.
Compared to their rivals, the Emirates side have a dubious record that really needs to be improved. Losing all the recent finals they have reached in Europe, does not help their case and it is one thing the fans would want to see changed. With participation in next season’s Champions League looking more and more likely, this would have been a great chance to get a major trophy.
Arteta And Europe
Another topic that will be brought up in the following days or weeks is the record that Arteta has in the continent. So far, the club has had one semi-final and two exits in the early stages of the knockout rounds. With one season of no European football, it does not look good for the Spaniard. But is it really the case?
This campaign in particular should not be considered, as bad as some of the other exits. With the Premier League being the primary focus, it is visible in how the players have prioritised that competition. Against Sporting, this lack of intensity proved to be a fatal mistake as it gave the Portuguese giants a chance to get back into the tie.
The true test of Arsenal and Arteta lies in the Champions League, where they will be up against the best teams. There is no room here for the intensity or quality to drop as you will be thrown out of the competition at the first possible chance. So, before any judgements are made, it would be better to wait until next year.
The Lesser Competition?
Now, as fans, we are waiting in anticipation at the start of every season to see which trophy the team ends up winning. For the Gunners, this exit goes above and beyond the ramifications for this season alone. It is also a question of the mentality of the players and whether they are up for the challenge.
It is easy to dismiss the squad as lacking in winning experience and therefore more likely to have exits such as this one. But you have to think about what they feel regarding this competition. Is it a case of the players feeling more confident in their abilities that they would prefer the domestic league to the European one?
If that is really the case, the lack of intensity that we spoke about earlier is easy to understand. It gives us insight into what the players and their priorities are for this season. On the other hand, one can argue that if this really were the case, Arteta would have chosen a much weaker team, one that would have rested many first-team regulars.
The Physical Impact
While it is all well and good to talk about the mental impact of such an exit, there is a real, tangible physical impact that needs to be looked at. If you saw the second leg you would know that the north Londoners had to have two players substituted with injuries. Now, it can be argued that Takehiro Tomiyasu isn’t as important as he was last season.
But the loss of the defender is going to put a lot more pressure on Ben White. The same can be said about William Saliba who is more important to the team’s fortunes. Perhaps his substitution was a precautionary move, one that was designed to safeguard the player. Either way, the Gunners could be without key players in the final part of the season. The title run is sure to have fans excited and if you want to be part of the crowd cheering them on, check out seatsnet.com for tickets.
While we have seen the negative side of things, it is time to look at the silver lining. And perhaps the only one to emerge from this apparent catastrophe of a game is the fact that Arsenal have fewer games to play. A deep run in the knockout stages of this competition would have been nice but that puts more pressure on the players. This way, the squad can give their full focus towards challenging for the Premier League.
The Fringe Players
An overlooked facet of Thursday’s game was how certain players were treated by the manager. Though there is nothing to suggest that there is a problem between some members of the squad and Arteta. But one can’t help but wonder what Matt Turner or Kieran Tierney would be thinking.
Both deserved to start this game or in the latter’s case, come on as a sub. The Europa League is an opportunity for the north Londoners to let some of them have a run out. Alex Zinchenko did not have his best game and with him sure to start at the weekend, could have benefitted from being substituted early.
Whether this is a sign of Arteta’s stubbornness or his lack of trust in certain players, it is sometimes difficult to understand. The Gunners have done well to recruit players that make up a strong bench. It would benefit them by using that depth from time to time.
Conclusion
Arsenal do not have to think of it as being all doom and gloom. It is disappointing to exit the Europa League but there is a lot left to play for. Get a win on Sunday over Crystal Palace and you can open up a eight-point lead over Manchester City. Perhaps next season is when Arteta shows his critics what he is really capable of in Europe.
