There's no denying that it's been a bad couple of weeks for the Gunners, and right now, it's difficult to dig out any positives. Three consecutive defeats and injuries to key players couldn't have come at a worse time, with tough fixtures yet to come.
A shakey defence and an attack lacking goals highlight a team whose confidence has taken a significant blow over the last month, but as we head into the closing chapter of the Premier League season, there is no time to allow heads to drop.
Arsenal travel to Stamford Bridge tonight to take on a Chelsea side that sits eight points above them in the table, and although they head into the game as underdogs, it's a perfect opportunity to bounce back and remind those watching that the race for top four is far from over.
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However, for Mikel Arteta's men to be in with a chance of causing an upset in west London, the Spaniard must take a more ruthless approach and change things up. As I mentioned in the reporter's XI yesterday, switching to a back three would provide the team with more defensive stability considering Chelsea control games well in midfield and it helped us secure all three points in the fixture last year.
Although the defence and midfield have significantly felt the absences of Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey, Arteta has no choice but to start Gabriel Martinelli ahead of Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah if improvements across the frontline are also to be seen.
Lacazette's not scored from open play since December and has just six goals to his name across 31 appearances this season. Additionally, the Frenchman has recently recovered from COVID-19, so further concerns over his match sharpness have arisen.
Meanwhile, Nketiah is yet to fully prove himself at Premier League level after failing to find the back of the net in 14 appearances. The 22-year-old found himself as third-choice prior to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's departure in January but has since gained more minutes from the bench.
With just one goal scored in over 270 minutes of football in recent weeks, Arsenal's worrying dry patch has become a major talking point amongst supporters and Arteta is beginning to realise the extent of the issue.
“This is what we have! This is our reality! I wish I had 40 goals in the team,” he said. “I have three players in the squad in the next seven games that are going to score 21 goals…I’d go to sleep very nice and say ‘tomorrow is going to be great’.”
Unfortunately, unless a change in personnel and setup is made between now and the end of the season, I'm not sure much will change. Poor form and uncertain futures have created a trap for Lacazette and Nketiah, who now find themselves struggling to escape.
