Mikel Arteta is in the doghouse with Arsenal fans and running out of time to show he has pedigree to end trophy drought
IT IS A WELL KNOWN fact that dogs learn through repetition.
Especially their names. Call it over and over again and soon your clever pooch will be your loyal pal performing tricks for treats.
So spare a thought for Arsenal’s poor pet chocolate labrador.
Boss Mikel Arteta came up with the idea of having man’s best friend live at the club’s training ground to give the place a family feel. And she was named ‘Win’.
That is not a word being heard quite as often as it should at London Colney today. At least not when it comes to getting over the line and winning a trophy.
A crushing home defeat to Newcastle in last night’s Carabao Cup semi final first leg leaves Arteta licking his wounds after blowing a great chance of silverware.
Win will be licking other bodily parts as per usual.
The concept of having a dog at a Premier League training ground is a positive one even if the choice of name is so North London and cringey.
And there is no doubt that Arteta has re-energised Arsenal in the five years since he took over as manager in December 2019.
But Tuesday’s inglorious stuffing feels like a barometer moment in the Spaniard’s time at the club. And the pressure is increasing.
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As if to ram the message home in terms that Win would understand – Arsenal have let the lead slip five times this season – twice against Brighton but more importantly against their main rivals Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea. Boom boom.
All of those games ended in draws, dropping vital points in the title race in the process.
Arteta won the FA Cup at the end of his first half season in charge – breathing life into a flatlining football giant in December 2019 when taking over from the uninspiring Unai Emery.
Victory in the 2020 FA Cup final over Chelsea should have been the trigger for more trophies to follow.
But since then there has been nothing tangible to celebrate. No open top bus parade through the London Borough of Islington where skipper Martin Odegaard can show off a shiny cup.
Since the FA Cup win four and a half years ago, even car-crash Manchester United have won something. And they are considered a laughing stock, now taking a punt on their third manager since Arteta took over the reins at the Emirates with a mission to make Arsenal great again.
Ironically, Manchester United beat Newcastle in the 2023 Carabao Cup Final.
The Geordies are renowned as serial chokers. Seven times losers in the FA Cup Final, twice in the League Cup, even throwing it away five times in the old Charity Shield. Without a major domestic trophy in 70 years.
Succumbing to the Toon at home in such a feeble way does not mean Arteta’s time is up. Far from it, even if social media tells a different story with the notoriously fickle Gooners jumping on their keyboards over their chai lattes to ensure ‘Arteta Out’ has been trending.
His 59.2 percent win rate is superior to that of his immediate predecessor Unai Emery and surprisingly better than that of Arsene Wenger – the man who laid the foundations for modern Arsenal.
The French legend won 57.3% of his 1235 games. But Arteta has had only 262 so far which makes it slightly easier to maintain a higher ratio of victories.
Wenger also had the Premier League in the bag in his second season – ripping the trophy from the best Manchester United team of all time led by the most successful British manager in history in Alex Ferguson.
Arteta has enjoyed three full seasons of goodwill as he attempts a similar assault on football’s Mount Everest, overhauling Manchester City’s imperious four-in-a-row champions.
That’s a big ask and the club and the fans have been patient up to now. It’s still too early to panic but there is a growing fear Arsenal have reached a ceiling unless bold moves are made.
Their arch-tormentor Alexander Isak, opening scorer against them last night, is a £150 million transfer target.
Former players like Paul Merson are demanding swift action by the board to sign the Swede and provide Arteta with the dedicated number nine they appear to crave so badly.
Kai Havertz is only three goals behind Isak this season but will never be the consistent out-and-out centre forward they so painfully lack. Neither is Gabriel Jesus.
It’s curious that in more than five years Arteta has overseen a net spend of £483.79 million but he is yet to find a player like Isak to lead the forward line with such venom.
Wenger got away without one too for donkey’s years but then he had Thierry Henry and few players compare favourably to the masterful Frenchman.
It is no shame to have finished second in the Premier League twice in succession to imperious Man City.
But the dominant force in English football suddenly looks fallible so there’s a big excuse for failure gone.
Champions League quarter finals last season, the last 16 of the Europa League the year before that. Gallant defeats but defeats nonetheless.
The title race looks beyond them this season. Third time in a row.
Arteta is a bright, young, energetic coach with a lengthy managerial career ahead of him at only 42.
And if he takes Arsenal up to St.James’ Park next month and turns Newcastle over in a stunning second leg comeback to get to Wembley, ignore all of the above.
But for now time is not on his side as the clock keeps ticking and Arsenal’s near-misses mount up.
Arsenal ratings vs Newcastle as Havertz fluffs golden chance with academy statlet the only bright light for Gunners
ARSENAL have a mountain to climb to reach the Carabao Cup final after a shock 2-0 first-leg defeat to Newcastle.
Here SunSport’s Jordan Davies rates every Arsenal player on a disappointing night at the Emirates…
DAVID RAYA – 6/10
Looked nervy with ball at feet at times but could do nothing to stop Alexander Isak’s brilliant close-range finish.
Unlucky to see his palmed save tapped in by Anthony Gordon.
MYLES LEWIS-SKELLY – 8
The academy product was very impressive again. Turned out of danger well at both ends of the pitch. So calm under pressure.
GABRIEL – 6
Gave Isak far too much space to manoeuvre a shot in the box before the Toon’s second. Wasteful and ineffective from corners.
WILLIAM SALIBA – 6
Had an early effort blocked near the line by Dan Burn. Was dealing with Isak well until losing a header to Sven Botman that saw the Toon striker score.
JURRIEN TIMBER – 5
Missed an absolute sitter from a yard out from a corner.
Was then caught sleeping just after the break to allow Gordon to double Newcastle’s lead.
THOMAS PARTEY – 6
Linked defence and attack fairly well without ever really doing anything spectacular.
DECLAN RICE – 6
Plays Jacob Murphy onside from a flicked on free-kick that leads to Newcastle taking the lead.
Took more responsibility in the second half on the ball.
MARTIN ODEGAARD – 7
Heavily man-marked by Joelinton but looked back to his very best after a spate of illness.
GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 8
Much more direct in his running. Unlucky not to open the scoring with his driven shot hitting the post after a half-way line sprint.
Continued to be positive in his play – just lacked the finishing touch.
LEANDRO TROSSARD – 6
Sneakily got away with dragging Isak down to stop the Swede joining a Newcastle counter in the first half and a good first-time pass to set Martinelli away. Those were his only highlights.
KAI HAVERTZ – 5
May just be back from a sickness bug, but the big German did very little, apart from somehow fluffing a header wide unmarked from six yards.
SUBS:
JORGINHO (PARTEY, 59) – 7
Some nice passes into dangerous areas and sprayed the ball about with conviction.
GABRIEL JESUS (TROSSARD, 59) – 6
Lively and sharp without every really testing Newcastle’s back four or goal.
OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO (LEWIS-SKELLY, 77) – 5
Booked within a minute of coming on for a rash challenge on Joelinton.