Arteta must accelerate revival to lift Arsenal from mediocrity
Manager claims progress but going into the north London derby they are heading for their lowest league finish since 1995
The way Mikel Arteta talks, it would appear that the job of Arsenal manager is akin to cleaning out the Augean stables such was the long-term mess he inherited when appointed in December 2019.
Arsenal were 10th in the Premier League – the position they occupy now – and while there was no doubt Unai Emery had to go, that Freddie
Ljungberg was not cut out for it and little doubt Arteta is still regarded as a progressive replacement, the fact is that going into tomorrow’s north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur there is an odd acceptance of mediocrity at the Emirates in the hope of long-term gain.
Or, rather, an odd acceptance from fans who were so rebellious in the final years of Arsene Wenger’s tenure and turned quickly on Emery. Clearly, their mood is hard to gauge because of empty stadiums, but while Arteta was under severe pressure going into the last big London derby, the Boxing Day fixture at home to Chelsea, that is not the case as they prepare to face Spurs in the middle of a run of fixtures the manager says they have to win to keep their season alive.
They won the first – the away leg in the last 16 of the Europa League at Olympiacos on Thursday – and, after Spurs, there is the return leg against the Greek club, then West Ham away, followed by Liverpool at home. Arsenal have 38 points from 27 games – an average of 1.4 per game. Last season they finished eighth with 56 points – an average of 1.5. That does not look like progress.
They are 12 points off the top four and 12 points off the bottom three. They are seven points behind Tottenham, whose manager, Jose Mourinho, could not resist a dig.
“I look up, I don’t look down,” he said. Mind the gap, indeed.
Arsenal are heading for their lowest league finish since 1995. They have not missed out on European football since then but, right now, their best hope of being involved next season is to win the Europa League. That would bring Champions League qualification for the first time in five seasons, although clear signs of progress should be measured more in league form rather than cup competitions. Five FA Cup wins since their last league title in 2004 appear like spikes against a trend of decline. Arteta has called the league position “unacceptable” and, just as that has fallen, so their revenue performance, according to the Deloitte Money League, has taken them from fifth in 2012 to 11th in 2020 among European clubs.
Last summer was one of optimism. The FA Cup was won, Arteta’s title was bumped up from head coach to manager and a new power axis, with Edu as technical director, controlled the football department, and Vinai Venkatesham was appointed chief executive. Whatever the talent, though, it is not a lot of experience at the helm.
Even so, it felt like a summer of improved transfer business thanks to the signings of Gabriel and Thomas
Partey and the free transfer of Willian, even if the only substantial sale, that of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, left them exposed. Arsenal do spend money, although they are awful at recouping it, as the clear-out has continued with Sead Kolasinac, Sokratis, Shkodran Mustafi and – above all – Mesut Ozil leaving.
The handling of the out-on-loan Matteo Guendouzi has lowered his transfer value, Willian has been unconvincing, the treatment of William Saliba confusing, Pierre-emerick Aubameyang has not justified his huge new contract and the football has been largely unexciting.
But there are green shoots of recovery. Arsenal may, largely, give the appearance of a club in decline, but there is a feeling that Arteta does have a plan and it is one worth supporting. More clearly, there is the emergence of exciting young talent, headed by Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli, while 23-year-old Kieran Tierney looks like a captain-in-waiting.
For too long, Arsenal have given the impression of a club and a squad existing in a comfort zone. Arteta quickly identified that, even if it remains to be seen whether he has the ability to change it. The club regard Arteta as a long-term appointment, but he – and Edu – need to start accelerating that plan to move on from the sea of mediocrity and the feeling of constantly being in transition.
Lee Westwood has been here before: leading the Players Championship after 36 holes. The difference is that the Englishman was 31 and 36 years old respectively on the two previous occasions. Now he is 47 and continually shakes his head at the realisation. “I’m 48 next month,” he says.
In 2005 and 2010, Westwood went on to finish in a tie for 22nd and fourth at the PGA Tour’s flagship event, after holding the halfway advantage. Following last week’s second at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, expect him to replicate the latter performance instead of the former. At this time of year the Worksop man has become accustomed to being usually either at Cheltenham or working out his bets for Cheltenham.
On this weekend, he is at the front leading the chase to the $2.7million (£1.94million) first prize. Without a bogey on his scorecard in his second-round 66, Westwood would hardly be the most ludicrous Sawgrass outsider to prevail at the Stadium Course. He is ranked 31st in the world and in December was crowned European No1 again after winning the Order of Merit title for the first time in 11 years.
Westwood is well used to rolling back the years and the manner in which he is rolling in the putts suggests that Ponte Vedra could indeed witness something special tomorrow. Although Westwood clearly does not believe it would represent too great a shock.
“I believe I’ve played some of my best golf over the last year and a half and had some good results against quality fields,” he said. “I won in Abu Dhabi last year and then finished second in Dubai at the end of last year to win the Race to Dubai, when I played great under pressure to birdie two of the last three holes.
“Last week I obviously played well under pressure again behind Bryson [Dechambeau, who won by one] and this week I’ve carried it on. You know, you might tell me that I was in the lead at halfway here in 2010. But I was a pretty good player then – I was world No1 that year. So I don’t like to judge the 2021 Lee Westwood against the 2010 Lee Westwood because I’m a different person. And it wouldn’t be fair on me now.”
Certainly he has become a more accomplished chipper, and if he carries on making the saves he did in this round boasting six birdies, he could take some stopping. On nine under, he is one clear of compatriot Matt Fitzpatrick (68), with Spain’s Sergio Garcia (72) and American Chris Kirk in a tie for third. And with fiancee Helen Storey as his caddie, Westwood appears to be more at peace on the fairways than ever.
“There’s not a shot out there I’m afraid of,” Westwood said. “There’s not a shot out there I’ll walk up to and think, ‘I haven’t got this one’. I feel my technique is good on everything. I can hit a low-drive stinger when I need to; I can hit a long-iron into a green when I need to and flight it high. If I get out of position I can nip one off the turf and put some spin on it, like I did on the ninth (his final hole, which he birdied). I’m comfortable out there.”
If only Rory Mcilroy could say the same. After his opening 79, the defending champion was, at the very least, looking for a low round to head home to his southern Florida home on a positive note. Alas, he could only manage a 75 for a woeful 10-over total. He missed the cut by a humiliating 10 shots.