Can Arteta Overcome Arsenal's Mental Block to Clinch the Title?

The Premier League title race has produced numerous iconic moments over the years, including Steven Gerrard's infamous slip and Kevin Keegan's despairing pose over the Anfield hoardings. A recent incident involving a Manchester City fan mocking Arsenal with a bottle in the Stamford Bridge away end has sparked debate about the title race's momentum. With City six points behind Arsenal, the fan's actions seem ominous, hinting at a potential shift in the title race. History threatens to repeat itself, as Arsenal often struggle in April, with their win percentage dropping below 50% under Mikel Arteta. In contrast, Manchester City tends to excel during this period, having not lost a game in April for five years. Arsenal's recent slump has raised concerns, with the team suffering three defeats in their last four games after experiencing just three losses in their first 49 games. So, what is behind Arsenal's struggles, and how can Arteta address the issue? One key factor is the tactical element, as Arsenal's players often pass the ball back to goalkeeper David Raya, which can lead to opposition pressure and mistakes. In their defeat to Bournemouth, Arsenal's players passed the ball back to Raya 38 times during the 95 minutes, highlighting their struggles with the opposition's press. The Cherries' four-man press, which lined up against Arsenal, allowed Raya to have the ball while shutting off the middle of the pitch. This tactic forced Arsenal into two options: playing out to a center-back and getting forced into a corner or going long, both of which give the opposition a chance to win the ball back. As a result, Bournemouth's two goals came from Arsenal mistakes, including a poor pass by Martin Zubimendi and a hurried clearance by Gabriel. Manchester City employed a similar tactic in the Carabao Cup final, dominating the second half by stopping Arsenal's ability to play out. Arteta has had time to address this tactical problem but has yet to find a solution, which raises questions about his tactical astuteness. The pressure is now on Arteta to change the narrative, especially with a reunion against Guardiola's City looming. City has successfully turned players like Nico O'Reilly into goalscoring machines, and Arteta needs to find a similar solution. Arsenal's reliance on set pieces for attacking play is a concern, with an open play xG of 0.19 against Bournemouth being a tough ask. There are also doubts about Arteta's squad management, particularly with regards to Zubimendi, who looks exhausted after playing more minutes than any other Arsenal outfield player. The Spanish midfielder has played 3,751 minutes, over 100 minutes more than the next best in Declan Rice, while Christian Norgaard has played just 995 minutes and is yet to start a Premier League game for Arsenal. Could Arteta have rotated his key midfielders more? Rice's load has been put under strain due to an injury to his backup, Mikel Merino. Arsenal's midfield has been overloaded with minutes, and now it's also being overloaded with pressing opposition. But is there a deeper issue with Arsenal's play? As Guardiola stated, 'It is the mindset, not the tactics.' A worrying trend has emerged regarding Arteta, where he gives rallying cries to his supporters before matches, only for the team to underperform. Before the game against Bournemouth, Arteta called on fans to get up early and be ready for a big day, but the team did not turn up, failing to score from open play. This has happened in previous matches, including against PSG and Liverpool, where Arteta's rallying cries added to the noise and tension. Banging a drum that didn't need to be played was a mistake, especially for a team with an anxiety hurdle of trying to get over the line. According to Gary Neville, 'Arsenal losing on Saturday isn't because they don't want it - it's because they want it too much, and their legs have started to get heavy.' The expectation and pressure surrounding the team have taken a toll, making their legs physically appear tired. Arteta's restless and jittery nature was evident during the defeat to Bournemouth, where he made a triple substitution in the 53rd minute. Perhaps a calmer head would have kept one of the pacey players like Noni Madueke or Gabriel Martinelli on the pitch, given Bournemouth's high line. When Arsenal don't win or perform to their potential, Arteta's rallying cry comes across as hypocritical. How Arteta fixes Arsenal's current predicament is both in and out of his control. The tactical tweaks needed to overcome City are evident, but they also depend on players returning from injury. Against Bournemouth, Arsenal were without several key players, including Jurrien Timber, Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori, and Martin Odegaard. At least four of them are guaranteed starters and bring clarity in situations such as building play out the back, which Arsenal are struggling with. Despite their injury predicament, Arsenal are in a good situation, and their last four matches have not defined their entire season. However, the game against Manchester City on Sunday will be crucial in determining their title chances.