If Arsenal don’t win the Premier League this season, they have only themselves to blame.
The idea of Mikel Arteta’s side falling short again is becoming uncomfortably real for Arsenal fans after Sunday’s 3-2 defeat to Manchester United.
The result puts them four points above Manchester City and Aston Villa, and there is now an atmosphere of familiar anxiety among supporters.
Arsenal and the pressure of a title race
Arsenal are still at the top. They are still one of the strongest teams in Europe. On paper everything is still going well.
But in reality, every Premier League match now feels like a burden for Arsenal rather than an opportunity to extend their lead.
Every home game in particular has an advantage: a feeling of nervousness among the audience that transfers to the players. It is a team that has been scarred by near misses, and it shows.
Three league games without a win have reduced the lead to four points. More damaging than that, however, is the way expectations begin to dictate behavior.
Arsenal look like a team trying not to lose, rather than a team trying to win.
Two arsenals depending on the stage
The contrast in performance between the leagues is hard to ignore.
In the Champions League, Arsenal look composed and confident. The win over Inter in midweek was controlled, confident and quietly authoritative.
In the Premier League, however, that peace has disappeared. Against Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, Arsenal played as if the stakes were on their shoulders.
United came to the Emirates in freedom and played like that. Arsenal didn’t do that.
Arsenal vs Man Utd: Fear strikes
Arsenal could have taken the lead after twenty minutes. They were dominant and deserved the lead after forcing Lisandro Martinez into an own goal.
Then came the wobble. A sloppy backpass from Martin Zubimendi gave United a soft equalizer and suddenly the entire stadium was on edge.
Arteta later admitted that the mistakes were unusual for them, but the reaction was something we have become somewhat accustomed to.
Arsenal retreated into themselves and protected what they had rather than pushing for more.
When Arteta rolled the dice in the second half with an unusual quadruple substitution, it felt like a frustrated roll of the dice.
Arsenal’s attack isn’t flowing
Set pieces continue to save Arsenal. They equalized through Mikel Merino, again from a dead ball situation.
That threat is bad, but they have become too dependent on it. Arsenal lack creativity in open play, and none of their attackers perform particularly well on a consistent basis.
Bukayo Saka is not at his sharpest and is on the longest goal drought of his career. Martin Odegaard gets confused and searches for rhythm. Neither Viktor Gyokeres nor Gabriel Jesus provide enough goal threat. Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke are struggling to find roles.
It’s been 270 minutes since Arsenal scored a goal from open play, and they are seventh in the league for open play xG. It is a problem that cannot be ignored.
The Emirates are feeling nervous
The atmosphere in the Emirates does not help.
Lots of safe sideways passes lead to audible groans, and it creates a cycle: when Arsenal slow the game down, the crowd gets frustrated. When the crowd gets frustrated, Arsenal slows the game down further. And it comes from the fear caused by the pain of the past seasons.
Rightly or wrongly, Arsenal fans booed their team full time. Three straight second-place finishes have left scars, and those scars are felt every time a lead looks vulnerable.
Speaking Air sports After the match, former captain Patrick Vieira questioned Arsenal’s mental strength and leadership, summing it up bluntly.
Pressure and expectation are part of the job, but at the moment Arsenal are struggling to keep them under control.
Will Arsenal still win the league?
There is no crisis yet. It’s only January. Arsenal are still well positioned to win the league.
But there’s something vulnerable about the way this title challenge feels. Previous shortcomings came with ready-made and quite justified excuses: injuries, referees, a ruthless City team.
This squad is deeper, calmer and better prepared than any Arteta has had. That means there are fewer places to hide.
If Arsenal fall short this time, it won’t be because they’ve been beaten by superior numbers. It will be because they couldn’t let go of the fear of losing.
Arsenal need to get over this emotional barrier and play like a team that chases something and doesn’t protect it.
Right now, their biggest opponent is not behind them at the table. It’s in their own heads.
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