Wolves defeat shows Arsenal’s progress under Mikel Arteta has stalled
Mikel Arteta’s press conference after Arsenal’s 2-1 Premier League loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers depicted a man who’s gradually reaching his end. After such a disappointing loss, the Spaniard did very little to uplift spirits.
Sitting for his post-game press conference, it was weird that Mikel Arteta preferred to dwell on his potential sack rather than give assurance that things will get better at the club.
"The day I decided to be a coach I knew that one day I will be sacked or leave the football club," he told Sky Sports. "My only concern is to get the best out of the players and give the best possible service to the club."
Arsenal’s performance against Wolves was absolutely abysmal. The Gunners hardly got anything right, with Nuno Espírito Santo’s side winning 2-1 at the Emirates.
A drab performance against Wolves for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal
The only positive move Arsenal made in the entire 90 minutes was Willian’s cross, which was headed home by Gabriel Magalhaes after Wolves had taken the lead through Pedro Neto. However, they couldn’t build on the equalizer and allowed Wolves to regain control of the game, eventually scoring the winner through Daniel Podence.
When Mikel Arteta took over about a year ago, Arsenal showed signs of progress under him. The Spaniard went ahead to lead the team to FA Cup victory before also beating Liverpool to win the FA Community Shield. However, barring a narrow 1-0 win against Manchester United earlier this month, the Gunners have disappointed this season.
Their latest loss against Wolves is proof that the team’s progress under Mikel Arteta is beginning to stall. The Arsenal manager has had his grace period but there’s currently no excuse for the club’s recent slump.
"Obviously I am really concerned," Arteta admitted after Arsenal’s loss to Wolves, as quoted by Sky Sports. "I am responsible for that, but I must say the reaction the team had, the way we played second half, was what I expect from them, but at the end the desire and willingness to go and get a result was there.
"We have to put the ball in the net. We create the chances, but in the end it's putting the ball in the net. In the first half they have two shots on target and score two goals. When we had the chances, we didn't. The goals will come, we have to insist, and we have to keep pushing the players and believe in them," Arteta said.
There are still a lot of games to be played, but Arsenal look far away from a top-four contender. Currently lying in 14th position on the Premier League table, it’s clear that the Gunners have stalled under Mikel Arteta.