The Gunners have handed the initiative back to Manchester City in the Premier League title race, and history is against them in the Champions League
In his 2014 autobiography, Manchester United legend Roy Keane described a team talk from Sir Alex Ferguson prior to a clash with Tottenham, as he reflected on his former manager's ability to read the mood in the dressing room. "I thought I knew what the group might need, that we didn't need a big team talk," he wrote. "It was Tottenham at home. I thought, 'Please don't go on about Tottenham, we all know what Tottenham is about: they are nice and tidy, but we'll f*cking do them.' He came in and said: 'Lads, it's Tottenham' and that was it. Brilliant."
The term 'Spursy' was coined after Tottenham's 2008 League Cup triumph, which was the last time they managed to win a major trophy, but as Keane alluded to, their standing as also-rans stretches back all the way to the very start of the Premier League era. Tottenham have come close to success under the likes of Martin Jol, Harry Redknapp and Mauricio Pochettino, but have always crumbled within sight of the finishing line.
Three-time Premier League winners Arsenal have never missed an opportunity to mock their local rivals' fragile mentality. They are still the best team in north London, and will almost certainly celebrate another 'St Totteringham's Day' in the coming weeks, as Spurs sit 11 points behind Mikel Arteta's side with just six games of the 2023-24 campaign remaining.
But it would be an empty achievement as the Gunners edge towards their fourth successive trophy-less season. Arsenal have positioned themselves as contenders on the elite stage under Arteta, only to take a leaf out of Spurs' book and choke when it really matters – and they are now in real danger of being stuck with the same humiliating reputation.
Getty/GOALMajor psychological blow
Arsenal spent 248 days at the top of the Premier League last term, the longest of any team in the competition's history to ultimately miss out on the title. Their extraordinary late collapse was put down to inexperience and bad luck, as talismanic young players such as Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli ran out of steam, while defensive general William Saliba was forced to sit out the crucial run-in through injury. But those excuses won't fly for Arteta this time around.
Aston Villa completed an unlikely league double over the Gunners on Sunday, earning a 2-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium thanks to late goals from Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins. Arsenal are still only two points behind leaders Manchester City, but it felt like a decisive blow, not least because the reigning champions always tend to save their best form for the final weeks of the season.
Unai Emery came back to haunt his former club as he once again got the better of Arteta in the tactical stakes. Villa were explosive and clinical, while Arsenal were ponderous and unimaginative.
There was nothing to separate the two teams heading into the final 10 minutes of the game, but the tension in the air was palpable, and it was clear Arsenal were starting to fold under the weight of huge pressure. Villa's late one-two, then, wasn't really a surprise; it felt inevitable after the Gunners lost their shape and composure, and beyond the devastating nature of the final result, there may be lasting psychological scars.
AdvertisementGettyChanged a winning formula
Much of the blame must be laid at Arteta's door. Kai Havertz came into the match with five goals in his previous seven Premier League appearances, including a poacher's finish in Arsenal's impressive 3-0 win at Brighton. The former Chelsea man also provided an assist in that game as he once again thrived in the No.9 role. It was Havertz's seventh-successive start as a centre-forward in all competitions, and he was giving Arsenal a different dimension in attack with his physical profile and relentless pressing.
And yet, Arteta decided it was best to tinker with a winning formula. He moved Havertz back into the No.8 slot on the left of Arsenal's midfield against Villa, and although he caused Emery's team's problems with his runs in behind in the first half, the flaws in the system became apparent in the second.
Whenever Villa had possession, it was too easy for them to break through the lines as Havertz dropped in to form a two-man midfield alongside Declan Rice. The Germany international made just one successful tackle in the entire game, and couldn't manage a single interception as Youri Tielemans and John McGinn gained control in the middle of the park.
“He's the guy who's been putting the ball in the back of the net," Liverpool legend Steve Nicol said after covering the game as a pundit for . "Has anybody on Arsenal’s coaching staff got the stomach to turn around to Arteta and say ‘Gaffer, I think you’re making a mistake'? I don’t understand why you take somebody who is in the best form for goodness knows how long, and you move them. That’s meddling if you ask me.”
As Arsenal's head coach, Arteta has the right to meddle, but it still feels as though he is trying too hard to follow the blueprint for success of his old mentor at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola. His overthinking cost the Gunners dearly at the weekend, and there may not be any way back.
GettyPoor in-game management
Arteta's in-game management also let him down against Villa. He waited until the 67th minute to make any substitutions, and inexplicably decided to take off Ben White instead of Oleksandr Zinchenko, who was having a torrid time at left-back, especially after Bailey's introduction.
The Villa winger tore Zinchenko to shreds, and completely lost him at the back post to score the opening goal of the game. Arteta didn't bring on Jorginho, the one man in the Arsenal squad who could have helped them gain a foothold on proceedings, until the 79th minute, at which point he also took off Martin Odegaard.
The Arsenal captain was by far their best player on the pitch, and although Arteta later insisted he'd sustained a knock, the decision raised plenty of eyebrows as the hosts capitulated in his absence. The Spaniard's hand might been forced there, but he generally got everything wrong on a day when the Gunners couldn't afford any slip-ups.
Yes, Arteta has been able to transform Arsenal back into a formidable outfit over the past four years, and he deserves a lot of credit for that. But he only has one FA Cup to show for his efforts, and the jury is still out on whether he is a truly elite manager. He spent over £200 million ($250m) in the 2023 summer transfer window to close the gap on City, and there will be no hiding place if the Gunners fall short again, which now seems predestined.
Getty ImagesAre Arsenal 'strong enough'?
When asked if Arsenal's season could now peter out, he told reporters: "If one result is going to do that, then we are not strong enough. We don't have any other solution. If you want to win championships, if you want to be there in the Champions League, when you have these moments you have to stand up. If not, that means that you don't have a quality that is very necessary. Now it's a big test for us."
The Gunners only had two days to recover before facing off against Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie. Another defeat at the Allianz Arena would prove once and for all that they are most certainly not ready to win the biggest prizes.
Bayern managed a 2-2 draw in the first leg at the Emirates, which was something of a surprise given how poorly they have performed in the Bundesliga this season. Thomas Tuchel's disjointed team has nothing in common with the great Hansi Flick and Jupp Heynckes sides of Bayern's recent past.
Arsenal had the tools to gain a strong advantage in the tie, but couldn't rise to their best level with the spotlight beaming down so brightly. They could well be hampered by the weight of history in Germany, too.
Bayern have won four of their last six home meetings with Arsenal, and two of those victories came by a thumping 5-1 scoreline. The Gunners' sole triumph at the Allianz Arena came in a last-16 second leg meeting in 2013, but Bayern still progressed on away goals despite the 2-0 defeat.
It is now a question of whether Arteta's men will be "strong enough" to upset the odds, especially when lining up against a familiar foe who will be desperate to finish off Arsenal in order to silence his own critics.