Can Arteta Break Arsenal's Cycle of Collapse?

The Premier League title race has produced many iconic moments over the years, but the recent image of a Manchester City fan mocking Arsenal with a team-branded bottle in the Stamford Bridge away end may prove to be a turning point in the season. With City six points behind, their fan's actions seem ominous, as history threatens to repeat itself. This is the time of year when Manchester City typically hits top gear, while Arsenal tends to falter. Under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's win percentage drops below 50% in April, and they have not won a game in this month for five years. The team appears to be freezing under the pressure of being champions, having doubled their number of losses in the last four games. So, what is behind Arsenal's recent slump, and how can Arteta stop the rot? Firstly, Arsenal's players seem to be struggling with the pressure, and there is a tactical element to their recent losses. In their defeat to Bournemouth, Arsenal's players passed the ball back to David Raya 38 times, indicating a problem with building up from the back. Bournemouth's four-man press shut off the middle of the pitch, forcing Arsenal to play long balls or pass to their center-backs, both of which gave the opposition a chance to win the ball back. As a result, Bournemouth's two goals came from Arsenal mistakes. The four-man press is a tactic Arsenal has faced recently, and Arteta has not yet found a solution. The upcoming reunion with Manchester City, who have successfully used this tactic against Arsenal, poses a significant challenge. Arteta's tactical astuteness is being questioned, and he needs to change the narrative quickly. Meanwhile, Manchester City has turned Nico O'Reilly into a goalscoring machine, a feat they achieved with Josko Gvardiol two seasons ago. In contrast, Arsenal's reliance on set pieces for attacking play is a concern, with an open play xG of 0.19 against Bournemouth. There are also doubts about Arteta's squad management, particularly with regards to Martin Zubimendi, who looks exhausted after playing more minutes than any other Arsenal outfield player this season. Christian Norgaard, on the other hand, has played just 995 minutes this term and is yet to start a Premier League game for Arsenal. Could Arteta have rotated his key midfielders more? The injury to Mikel Merino has put a strain on Declan Rice's workload. But perhaps the issue runs deeper than tactics or squad management. As Pep Guardiola said, 'It is the mindset, not the tactics.' A worrying trend has emerged with Arteta, who often gives rallying cries to his supporters before big games. However, in the matches against Bournemouth, Paris Saint-Germain, and Liverpool, Arsenal's team did not turn up, and they failed to score a goal from open play in any of those games. Arteta's justification for these outbursts may be honest and innocent, but they add to the noise and tension surrounding the team. Gary Neville noted that Arsenal's players are not losing because they don't want to win, but because they want it too much, and their legs have started to get heavy. The mentally emotional drain is taking a toll on the team, making their legs appear tired. The expectation and pressure to win are overwhelming, and Arteta's restless nature is extending to his team. The triple substitution in the 53rd minute against Bournemouth, where he took off all the players behind Viktor Gyokeres, may have been a sign of this. Perhaps a calmer head would have kept one of the pacey Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli on the pitch, given Bournemouth's high line. Arteta's rallying cry comes across as hypocritical when the team does not win or perform to their potential. 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 is struggling with. The injury predicament raises the point that Arsenal is in a very good situation considering their injury woes. Before the March international break, no Premier League team suffered more injuries than the Gunners. While Arsenal's last four matches have seen standards slip, Arteta's side must remember what has brought them into the position they are in for most of the season. The form going into the Man City match has not defined Arsenal's entire season, but the game on Sunday will be crucial.