Arsenal’s collapse against Wolves leaves Mikel Arteta with questions about mentality, selection and Premier League title bid | Soccer News

Arsenal’s title push is faltering after their second-half collapse against Premier League bottom side Wolves. That’s two wins from seven Premier League games for Mikel Arteta’s side. Following? A trip to Spurs, live on air sports on Sunday.

Arsenal are still tipped as title favourites. According to Opta, they have a 79.7 chance of lifting the crown. But their recent shake-up gives Manchester City the chance to close the gap to just two points and fans are anxious about history repeating itself.

Here we look at the key questions facing Arteta as Arsenal battle to get their title challenge back on track in what could be a crucial weekend, with Manchester City facing Newcastle on Saturday before the Gunners travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

Is it time to take off the shackles?

Arsenal’s collapse at Molineux was the undoubted low point of their season so far. Wolves are not only the Premier League’s bottom club, they are statistically one of the worst teams in the history of the competition, seemingly already doomed to relegation.

But the way it played out was familiar. Arsenal panicked despite being ahead. And instead of pressing their advantage, they retreated, just like in last month’s defeat to Manchester United and last week’s draw with Brentford.

Arsenal have dropped seven points from winning positions in their last five Premier League games. Since the turn of the year, only Crystal Palace and West Ham have higher totals. But this pattern of handing over the initiative in games is not new.

Arteta has built the best defense in the Premier League. Incredibly though, it feels like he falls back on that defensive strength too readily. The instinct is to protect rather than go for the jugular. As a result, Arsenal make games more difficult than they need to be.

The punishment has been brutal lately. Arsenal have conceded eight goals from chances worth an expected total of just 4.93 over their eight Premier League games since the turn of the year. Wolves scored twice from just 0.29 xG on Wednesday.

Maybe their luck will turn. But it feels increasingly clear that a change of emphasis is needed. It may require Arteta to go against his instincts, but surely there is now enough evidence to suggest that Arsenal will be better off eliminating their attacking intent than falling back on their defense after going ahead.

If Arteta is reluctant to make the change, it’s probably because he knows it could leave his team more open out of possession. But right now, Arsenal’s attack-then-defend mentality is literally and figuratively inviting pressure and it’s taking a heavy toll.

Arsenal’s hopes of getting their title challenge back on track, and avoiding a repeat of past disappointments, may depend on their manager tweaking the balance between defense and attack.

Does Arteta really trust his team?

Events at Molineux have raised more questions about Arteta’s use of his squad. Much has been made of Arsenal’s strength in depth. Does the driver really use it?

Only six Premier League teams have made more than Arsenal’s 60 line-up changes this season, but certain players seem overworked while others are underused.

Martin Zubimendi and Jurrien Timber fall into the first category. They are first and second among Arsenal players for minutes played in all competitions this season. So it is perhaps not surprising that they have shown clear signs of fatigue of late.

All the while, Christian Norgaard and Ben White barely featured in the Premier League. Arteta’s reluctance to use White is particularly curious given his importance to the side in previous seasons. Timber may be the most reliable defender, but White’s attacking thrust has been sorely missed on Arsenal’s right.

Further forward, Eberechi Eze is the obvious candidate for more minutes.

As in the case of White, there may be some defense in choosing him over other options. But there can be no doubting its attacking quality. A player signed to give Arsenal an ‘X-factor’ has started just one of their last 11 Premier League games.

Arteta has not been helped by injuries to Kai Havertz, Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard of late, but a lack of balance in his forward line has also been a recurring problem.

Against Wolves, his front three was made up of players who need space to run into Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli, leaving Bukayo Saka in the No 10 role as the only small-space specialist with the guile to unlock a deep defence.

The issue of imbalance was also evident in last month’s defeat to Manchester United, when Arteta went the other way and opted for a highly technical front three of Leandro Trossard, Saka and Gabriel Jesus that left Arenal with little threat in transition.

The lack of variety in his attacking options hurts Arsenal offensively and adds to the questions about how Arteta is using the personnel at his disposal this season.

Can Arsenal recover for Spurs test?

It is clear that there are several ways for this extremely talented Arsenal team to win football matches. Too many times since the turn of the year, however, Arteta has chosen the wrong route. Wolves are just the latest side to tip the scales too easily, a vulnerability Igor Tudor will be hoping his Tottenham side can exploit on Sunday.

Opposition teams often try to take advantage of Arsenal’s restlessness late in games when the scoreline is lopsided. The lack of composure from previously unremarkable players is telling. Rather than rise to the pressure, the Gunners bowed to it.

Sunday 22 February 16:00

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Arteta can’t afford to defend a defensive mindset at Spurs this weekend, form won’t allow it, except the north London derby is filled with more expectations than an everyday Premier League game and requires more risk for greater reward. Caution is surely not the way.

However, where they can come loose is in their attempts to break down a back three/five, if that is indeed Tudor’s preferred formation. Arsenal have worked hard to unlock teams sitting in a form with more focus on stopping them than attacking themselves. It is up to Arsenal to provide the impetus when that happens and of late there has been less inspiration.

History will tell you that Arteta’s side lacked the strength of personality in these defining moments. That they are the almost-not-quite team that can’t summon the mental toughness to challenge until the very end. No doubt that burden becomes harder to shoulder against teams like Wolves who Arsenal are expected to overturn with ease. Nervousness becomes the dominant emotion.

So perhaps the danger of a derby has arrived at the perfect time, a game where incentive takes care of itself. A positive result could re-energize all those invested in Arsenal’s title bid; from Arteta to his players to the doubting fans. The Gunners’ power is ultimately in their collective.

And now, with Manchester City poised to pounce, they have left themselves little or no room for error.