The circumstances and stakes were different, but there was a strong sense of Deja vu when it came to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s comments on Saturday.
After watching his Gunners side be held to a goalless draw by Everton, the frustration from Arteta was clear - and so was his explanation of what was missing.
“Honestly, it’s difficult to ask something else to the team,” he said. “Individually, can we do things a little bit better and deliver more quality and deliver the magic moment in that case that is necessary? Yes, but that’s something that is not easy.”
It is not the first time Arteta has spoken of the need for Arsenal to produce a “magic moment” when they are struggling to create.
Back in April, after Bayern Munich had dumped the Gunners out of the Champions League, Arteta pointed to the same thing.
“It wasn’t enough, that was true, to get the magic moment that is needed in this competition, to unlock it, to make something happen when the game requires us to open that door,” he said. “We didn’t have it and that’s why we’re out.”
There is no denying that when Arsenal’s attack is firing, particularly Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, they look unstoppable.
That much has been made clear since Odegaard’s return from injury, with thumping wins over Sporting Lisbon and West Ham evidence of how deadly Arsenal can be.
The issue is that, when Odegaard and Saka are not clicking, problems arise. Saturday was a prime example of that and such were Arsenal’s struggles that Arteta took off Odegaard for Ethan Nwaneri with just under 30 minutes to go.
It was a bold decision and one that caught many inside the Emirates Stadium by surprise. It also felt like a touch of desperation.
The fact Arteta has such faith in Nwaneri is noble, however it also speaks volumes that when searching for someone to ignite the attack the Arsenal manager had to turn to a 17-year-old.
Ultimately, it was a substitution that backfired, as did the four other ones Arteta made over a 12-minute period in the second half. Of those changes, only Declan Rice’s removal was forced, with the midfielder needing to come off due to a niggle.
Everton saw out the final half an hour in relative comfort and even dealt with Arsenal’s set-pieces better than other sides this season.
Arteta admitted afterwards it is “difficult” to coach those magic moments. Either a player has that ability to pull a rabbit out of the hat, or they don’t.
It is why whoever lands the job of Arsenal’s sporting director should not find it difficult what to put at the top of the shopping list.
The Gunners need a new attacker and the fact Arteta bemoaned that back in April underlines how they have done so for some time.
People will, rightly, point to the fact that the issue was not addressed in the summer. If Arsenal needed someone to create magic moments, why was their first signing a left-back?
Arsenal need a new attacker... but landing anyone of their calibre in January will be difficult
That, perhaps, partly points to Arteta’s natural instincts. After Saturday’s draw, he spoke about how Arsenal deserved to win as they “gave nothing away”. That was true, as Everton did not have a shot on target, but the Gunners did not create enough either.
There is also the fact that players who can make something out of nothing are rare, even more so in this modern era of tactical discipline.
Arsenal have looked for people in that mould before. Two years ago they pushed hard to sign Raphinha from Leeds, but he joined Barcelona. Last summer they were interested in Spain star Nico Williams, while they were also linked with moves for Bayern Munich pair Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sane.
Landing anyone of that calibre in January will be difficult but, if Arsenal cannot address the issue then, they must do so in the summer.
