Arsenal were knocked out of Europe following a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the second leg of the UCL Quarter-Final. After a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Emirates, the Gunners needed to produce something special to get a win against the German giants at the Allianz. However, they fell short as a goal from Joshua Kimmich sealed a 3-2 win on aggregate for Bayern. They have now lost two consecutive games and need to do something special to make something out of the current season.
Their defeat to Aston Villa on the weekend pushed them to second spot on the table with only 6 games left. They are now two points behind defending champions Manchester City, who were also knocked out of Europe after losing on penalties to Real Madrid. Chasing City in a title race is not an easy task as they have a solid team with the experience of playing in tough situations.
Mikel Arteta is now in his fifth year in charge of Arsenal and he has managed to win only three trophies so far. However, an important thing to consider is that he took over a very mediocre side and made changes to make it look like the team it is today. The Gunners had a solid lead in the Premier League title race last season, but they succumbed to injuries and the pressure put on them by Manchester City. This season they are once again in a similar situation, but they also have a Liverpool team to worry about as the Scousers are level on points with them.
Arsenal are at the risk of going another season trophyless
Arsenal started the season with high hopes of winning trophies this season. Summer signing Declan Rice has looked solid and his performances have certainly been a great boost in the club’s title charge. The Gunners were knocked out in the earlier rounds of both the FA Cup and League Cup, but this gave them a chance to focus on the PL and the UCL titles.
However, after the defeat to Bayern in the Champions League, the Gunners only have the PL trophy to fight for. The title race is between three of the best teams in England and it looks like it could go down to the last day. Mikel Arteta will have to keep the disappointment of the UCL exit aside as the team’s next set of games poses a tough challenge.
The Gunners have games against their fierce London rivals Tottenham Hotspurs and Chelsea. They will also visit Old Trafford to face Manchester United in the second-last game of the season. All these are tough encounters especially when you are chasing a team like Manchester City, but Arsenal has a squad they can be confident about. They have scored the second most goals this season and conceded the fewest, which showcases how balanced their lineup is. Whether they will dethrone City is a question that only time can answer, but if they can’t it will be interesting to see what happens with Mikel Arteta.
Could Mikel Arteta lose his job if Arsenal go trophyless this season?
Mikel Arteta is one of the best young managers in the world. He has transformed the Arsenal team and made them capable of beating any side in the world. Although he has not made any major additions to the trophy cabinet, there is no denying that Arteta has improved the club.
Building a team that wins trophies takes time and Arsenal are a lot closer than many people may think. They fell short in the PL race last season, but are very much in the hunt this time around. The Spanish coach certainly deserves more time as he build this team and is a person that can get the best out of them.
