ARSENAL LAUGHING STOCK
Wenger’s frail team drift to fresh loss as Howe’s heroes storm back
BEHIND the cloud of dust stirred up by the imminent exit of Alexis Sanchez there is a team drifting aimlessly.
Arsenal are five games without a win in all competitions and enduring their worst start to a new year under Arsene Wenger.
More troubling are the signs which lurk behind the statistics. They are once again frail at the back, leaking goals too easily to any team prepared to attack them. They are poor on the road, lacking leadership as usual and suddenly devoid on creative brilliance.
Last week, at Nottingham Forest, they feebly surrendered their hold on the FA Cup, conceding four as they were outplayed by a managerless team from the Championship.
Yesterday, Arsenal lost for the first time ever to Bournemouth, who scored twice in four secondhalf minutes having gone behind to a Hector Bellerin strike. Callum Wilson prodded the leveller as Petr Cech misjudged a low cross and then set up Jordon Ibe’s winner.
Eddie Howe deserves credit for swift and influential changes when his team went behind and will have been thrilled by the spirit on display as his players responded.
With three points, Bournemouth eased further clear of the bottom three but problems are stacking up for Wenger, who watched again from the stands as he completed his three-match touchline ban.
His captain is preparing to retire into a coaching role, his vice-captain is struggling with injuries and his experienced keeper is making mistakes.
Sanchez, his best player, is on the brink of a move to Manchester United. Mesut Ozil could join him when his contract expires in summer.
Up front, £53million record-signing Alex Lacazette has not scored since the start of December and played as if bereft of confidence here.
The only spark of encouragement was supplied by Jack Wilshere, once again the heartbeat of the team, offering vision and a change of pace in central midfield to go with his passion. He is close to his best and he, too, is out of contract in six months.
Arsenal’s goal came from a wingback, slid clear by a rare contribution from Alex Iwobi, early in the second-half. Bellerin took aim and beat Asmir Begovic for power. The goalkeeper took much of the sting from the shot with a strong right hand but could not prevent it from spinning over the line.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles hit the bar in the first-half but Bournemouth’s high-energy style caused problems for the visitors. Iwobi escaped a strong penalty appeal in the first-half when he misjudged a corner and the ball struck him on an elbow. The home crowd grew increasingly frustrated with referee Kevin Friend — Dan Gosling was harshly booked for a dive — but Howe kept his mind clear and sent on Lys Mousset after Bellerin’s goal. Almost immediately, the substitute linked up with Ryan Fraser who delivered a terrific low cross from the right.
Cech dived forwards in an attempt to smother the ball as it skidded his way but Wilson was too quick, dashing ahead of the keeper to find the net.
Wenger sent on Aaron Ramsey for his first appearance after a month out with a hamstring injury and switched to a back-four but before the change could have an impact his team were behind.
Wilson, unmarked inside the penalty area, was afforded the time to hold up a pass from Lewis Cook and found Ibe who arrived to send the ball fizzing past Cech for his first of the season.
‘We made two very surprising mistakes,’ said Wenger. ‘Not even forced errors. Just a lack of the right decision-making. Overall, you come out and think, “How did we lose the game?”. By being very harsh, I would say we haven’t created enough with the possession we had, and we looked a bit lacklustre in the final third, and not sharp enough to create chances.
‘When you’re 1-0 up, you should create more to be dangerous and we paid for that. The combination of the two made us pay a heavy price.
‘It’s very frustrating and it’s a very disappointing result for us.’
Arsenal are trailing in sixth, eight points from the top four and five points behind Tottenham in fifth.
They are alive in the Carabao Cup and the Europa League but the prospect of a return to the Champions League, for so long a guarantee, is a distant dream as they face up to the reality of life after Sanchez.