Although Mikel Arteta refused to surrender after the disappointing 1-1 arsenal draw against Manchester United on Sunday, the aspirations of the gunners for a long-awaited gold medal in the Premier League are more or less on the edge of the accident.
With only 10 games to play, the northern London team is behind Liverpool leaders for 15 points, despite a game in hand, a great gap that has not happened since the triumphant season of triumphant pandemic of the Reds.
The world of football has heard enough that Arsenal entered February empty -handed after fans publicly demanded a new striker, while the team loses huge opportunities in each game. In addition, a poor season by Gabriel Martinelli, along with injuries suffered by Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesús, could take Arsenal to a third second consecutive place in the National League.
Many would say that intrigue will survive until Liverpool wins the Mathematically Premier League. Even so, the Arne Slot band showed in its shock of the Champions League that can fight until the last second, even if they face 27 shots in total, or Alisson, which has to save the team nine times.
But what about Mikel Arteta's men? Roy Keane has recently questioned his mentality, adding that there is no evidence that the Spanish team can guarantee a victory even next season. The icon of the Red Devils stressed that Arsenal's problems are not in the lack of strikers, their injuries and, again, their squad.
Keane described the temperance, identity and badge required to expect only gold. Even if Arteta becomes another page to focus on success at the end of the next campaign, there are too many signs that suggest that the controversial expert was right by saying that “there is no evidence” that they can wait for a victory of the Premier League in May 2026.
Arsenal lost two crucial points in the 1-1 draw against Man United in Old Trafford on Sunday
Mikel Arteta's team is currently the second in the Premier League table, 15 points behind Liverpool
After the disappointing tie against the Red Devils, Roy Keane questioned the Arsenal's mentality and added that there is no 'evidence' that the Premier League can win next season
Additional updates are needed in addition to the forward's position
Are they sure of Arsenal fans that when they look at their team, come to a team that wins the Premier League? Keane was right to highlight an important problem: gunners require additional improvements, initially intended to be considered during the last summer transfer window.
We know many teams that play attacking football without a classic No 9: the Barcelona of Pep Guardiola or its 2020-21 career with Manchester City, the Paris of Luis Enrique Saint -Germain in 2025, which does not lack goals and runs towards the final third through the efforts of its extremes.
It becomes evident that in addition to the position of the striker, Arsenal urgently needs to rethink its left flank, which Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trosssard occupy without convincing. The Brazilian experiences a great decrease in the form for his second consecutive season, while the former Brighton star proves to be a useful element in the Arteta tool kit, but not a player until the initial alignment of a winning team of the Premier League.
Ethan Nwaneri is an emerging young man who really deserves to be called a next world class star. He successfully replaced Saka injured, but what would happen if he suffered a setback? The Spanish boss, and his next sports director, need to reconsider the fact that he cannot trust 17 -year -old players for a complete 90 -minute clash, even if they offer a performance such as Eindhoven last week.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Martinelli supports another disappointing season when the 23 -year -old found the network background only six times at the Premier League this season.
The teams that take a backward step rarely win next season
We saw it too many times when the squadrons in shape, after a campaign marked by the successful hope of the title, crashed in the next season. The last perfect example was Manchester United and its 2020-21 success, despite a 12-point gap behind the rivals led by Pep Guardiola. What happened in the next season is well documented: a fall to sixth place with 12 losses in the Premier League.
Liverpool is just another team that shared the same destination. The Jurgen Klopp band was often hit by a dominant Manchester City that would not allow any place to reach first place, even if it reached 92 points at the end of the term. The following year, Liverpool saw a strange negative to the fifth position and the demands of fans for the departure of Fabinho, as well as the arrivals of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.
“The reason I say that is because when I returned to when I played for Liverpool and we went to the League and had a season in which we were really there … If you finish three seasons in a row, it is difficult to move on,” said Jamie Carragher in a recent episode of the overlap.
The gunners have been beaten with injuries in the attack line throughout the season.
Mikel Arteta's arsenal has not yet reached a total of 90 points in a season
As already mentioned, a 90 -point season cannot guarantee a triumph at the end. However, Arteta approached that only once, during the middle of last year's unequal campaign from Manchester City.
The Spanish reached 89 points in 2023-24, two behind the citizens, and 84 in 2022-23, again under the Guardiola side by five. While Liverpool is about to finish the season with one of the biggest protagonists in the history of the Premier League, the men of Arteta can reach a maximum of 85 points if they win each game until the end of the season.
A predictable attack this season
“Arsenal cannot counterattack, and when they have the ball in possession in the last third, they can't really innovate and play,” Gary Neville said in his podcast. Although it has been a season full of injuries, and Mikel Merino was forced to play in position No. 9, Arsenal has not yet applied some innovative tactics.
Today, football requires movement, pressure and participation of each player. Arteta attack alignment is too predictable and desperate to maintain possession of the ball without risking rapidly drilling in the opponent's box.
This would explain why Arsenal scored less goals than the 13th Tottenham classified by the Premier League this season.
Arteta was forced to transfer midfielder Mikel Merino to the position of the striker in the middle of the absence of Kai Hvertz and Gabriel Jesús due to injuries
Uncertainty hired on several key players
Together with physical conditioning problems and a long absence of the field, it is not unknown if Bukayo Saka will return to its impressive form soon. As the clock progresses, the International of England will be out of contract in the summer of 2027.
“I think this is the right club, the right place to take the next step,” Saka said after signing his previous agreement. Will the Emirates stadium continue to be the “right place” after three successive in second place in the Premier League?
The same summer marks the end of the agable central agreements of the team, Gabriel and Saliba. Although it is understood that the club has already had conversations with the duo, the players will undoubtedly reconsider their future in the next transfer window.
Mikel Arteta team could reach a maximum of 85 points if they win each game until the end of the Premier League campaign
The Arsenal star, Bukayo Saka, which is currently recovering from an injury to the hamstrings, is out of contract in the summer of 2027
Liverpool and Manchester City will not remain inactive this summer
It seems that while Arsenal cheered that his opponent of recent years, Man City, supports a sad season, which saw them fall to fifth place, Liverpool has taken the opportunity to overcome them. However, these two sides will undoubtedly remain inactive during the next transfer window.
Guardiola's team will need a soda after several headlines emerged that the key stars, such as Kevin de Bruyne, are ready to leave the club. Kyle Walker had already seen his game from AC Milan, and citizens have not yet secured an adequate replacement in the setback position.
The same applies to Liverpool. Although there is still no confirmation, Trent Alexander-Arnold is looking at the capital of Spain, since the product of the Red Academy is out of contract in less than four months. Conor Bradley could witness an ascent to the initial alignment, but the player's medical history, which shows more than 50 days lost this season due to muscle and hamstring injuries, could encourage Arne Slot's team to take another player to his right defensive flank.