The last time Arsenal challenged for the title was probably in the 2015/16 season. At that point, the Arsenal players were fighting extremely hard for the title. Headed for the turn of the year in 2016, Arsenal were then the leaders of the table. Unfortunately, their grasp of the title collapsed and Leicester City clinched the trophy.
In the next season, Arsène Wenger aimed to challenge for the title once again. To everyone’s surprise, the Gunners fell short of Champions League qualification spots. Even though the team scored 75 points which in Wenger’s opinion could have brought Champions League action to his side, Arsenal missed out of the top flight of European action for the first time in his reign.
Two Arsenal Players Leading Charge to Mediocrity
In the most recent season, Arsenal fell further behind the top four. Amassing only 63 points from the whole season, Wenger led his side to sixth in the Premier League table. It was the worst performance in the French manager’s career at the club. With that result in mind, it meant that Tottenham finished above Arsenal for the second consecutive time and the Gunners will have to play in Europa League. To add on to the fans’ disappointed, the club’s arch-rivals, Tottenham, had a superb season. Two key Arsenal players certainly ought to take responsibility for the team’s poor showing this season.
Petr Cech
One player that almost every fan is against is Petr Cech. Since joining the Gunners, his record for saving penalties has been absolutely dismal. The goalkeeper knows it himself but has done little to improve his record. In addition, Cech has been at fault for conceding goals far too easily. This season, the Gunners had let in 51 goals. It is the largest number of conceded goals among the top seven teams in Premier League standings.
The fans seriously have had enough of the former Chelsea man and cannot wait for the club to get a replacement. In order to be Arsenal’s first choice goalie, he must be consistent, alert and reliable. Cech has been unable to live up to expectations of many. After his string of miserable performances, he has been unable to escape the scrutiny of the fans who demand a change.
Arsenal recently announced that Cech will be taking a new jersey number starting from next season. With a new manager coming in, there is some hope that he will be deputized. The 36-year-old is one of the two Arsenal players who have pulled the team down as seen in this season.
Shkodran Mustafi
The German defender is another player responsible for Arsenal’s embarrassing season. When Shkodran Mustafi first joined the Gunners, everyone thought Arsenal had found a replacement for Per Mertesacker. As things stand, it does not look like the case. He may be brave in his tackles and strong in the air, but Mustafi has failed to impress.
Mustafi had made two errors which contributed to goals in the 2017/18 Premier League season alone. The number may seem small, but he has been at fault for not tracking back on multiple occasions. Besides his lack of positional awareness, his poor defending has at times been unforgivable. Gary Neville had slammed him for his naiveness during the match against Manchester City. The German international seems to be picking things up at a far slower pace than the rest. If he is unable to keep up, he will drag the team down. That is something he has already done in this season and there are no excuses for those sub-standard performances.
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