Arsenal’s embarrassing game against Swansea City is a shocking turn of events, when compared to their earlier performances. For the first, blistering 20 minutes, it looked Arsenal were well-set on the road to recovery, following their defeat at Old Trafford.
They lost their composure again, however, letting Swansea back into the game and surge to a shock win. Though all the pressure will be on Arsene Wenger, it was his players who came in for the biggest criticism, with fans blasting their performance.
According to Alexis Sanchez, his Arsenal team-mates lack the “hunger” to win the Premier League title. He has also admitted to feeling burnt out after his exertions in last summer’s Copa America, but he has refused to be rested this season.
Sanchez is one of the biggest disappointments of Arsenal’s fading season as he has struggled for form, scoring just once since January after coming back from a hamstring injury. Considering how poor his own performance has been so far, Sanchez’s comments will leave Arsene Wenger in a bigger fix, after watching his team’s season fall apart with three straight defeats and only one win – the last-gasp victory over Leicester – in five matches in all competitions.
They have now fallen six points behind leaders Leicester in the title race and pressure is mounting on manager Wenger. But with his Gunners sitting third, the Frenchman has been reluctant to rest Sanchez — even though he barely had a summer holiday after helping the hosts lift the Copa America trophy.
Arsene Wenger’s side face a crucial match ahead against fellow title challengers Tottenham on Saturday on the back of successive league defeats and facing growing scrutiny about the team’s perceived lack of character. They will be without centre-back Laurent Koscielny and goalkeeper Petr Cech for Saturday’s North London derby against second-placed Spurs, with Wenger now even sweating on his team’s traditional top four finish.
In all competitions, the Gunners are without a win in four games, a run that also includes the FA Cup draw with second tier Hull and a home defeat against Barcelona in the Champions League. Having been regarded as favourites by many to end their 12-year wait to regain the Premier League title, Wenger’s side risk seeing the campaign turn into one of under-achievement.
A third victory in four visits to White Hart Lane would restore belief they can close the six-point gap on current leaders Leicester and move the Gunners level on points with Tottenham in second place. But after the dismal midweek home defeat against Swansea that came on the heels of a disappointing loss to Manchester United, winning against the mighty-looking Spurs can prove to be challenging for Arsenal.