5 Things Arsene Wenger Should Do To Ensure That Arsenal Win Important Fixtures

In Arsenal’s last 11 meetings with Chelsea and Manchester United in all competitions, Arsenal have lost 10 and drawn just the one against Manchester United. This has almost become a ritual when the Arsenal meet these sides, Arsenal fail to show up and get overran by the sides.

In this season itself, Arsenal have lost to both Chelsea and Manchester United. In both clashes Arsenal failed to break down the sides and failed to score.

For Arsenal fans, this is getting extremely frustrating. This season, the league is an extremely closely contested one, with the gap separating the top sides not more than two points. In such a scenario, the games against the top sides may come to decide who lifts the crown come May.

Although winning does not guarantee title success, and a loss doesn’t put Arsenal fully out of the title race, such wins can do a world of good for the morale and confidence of the side and help them scale new heights.

With Arsenal playing Chelsea next Monday, Arsene Wenger and his boys will have to overcome their big-match blues and overcome Chelsea if they are needed to show that they are true contenders.

Arsenal play some of the most beautiful football in the planet, which is extremely successful in breaking down the smaller teams. Against these smaller sides, Arsenal are successful in scoring plenty of goals, dominating the game.

But when it comes to the top teams, this philosophy doesn’t work, and Arsenal come unstuck. Against these top clubs, Arsenal look to play their normal brand of football, which has many passes, a slow buildup. But over the last couple of seasons, it has become evident that Arsenal find it tough to break down these teams.

When this happens, Arsenal are hit and devastated on the counterattack. Despite this happening, Arsene Wenger has decided to use the same strategy. What Wenger needs to do now is adapt and modify Arsenal’s strategy. To put it simply, Arsenal should be more willing to sit back and defend.

There used to be a time when Arsenal could soak up all the pressure and then in one clinical, swift and ruthless move score a brilliant goal on the counter. Now when Arsenal come under pressure, Arsenal collapse and concede a goal.

Arsenal need to soak up the pressure, like all top teams, and still come out unscathed. Arsenal should be more willing to defend and not always look to attack. They should look to close down the players more quickly and try cutting out passing options and not always go for zonal marking.

This is not a call for Arsenal to just sit back and defend and try to plat long-ball football. What Arsenal requires is a mix of both. Arsenal need to find the balance between both. 

In most of Arsenal’s matches against top opposition, their top players fail to show up and put in uninspiring and timid displays. In these matches what Arsenal require more than ever is for their star players and best performers to put in dazzling performances and pick up the win for Arsenal.

But like against Manchester United, the top players just do not perform. This time it was Nasri. He was easily the best player in the Premier League going into that match, but he failed to live up to the expectations. Now it is not just Nasri. This year it was him, last year it was the likes of Arshavin and Fabregas.

These players cannot single-handily win the match for the Gunners, but their performances can go a long way in lifting up the rest of the team and inspiring the team to play better.

If you look at every top team in the world, they have certain players who will rise to the occasion and lift their team to victory. Someone in Arsenal needs to do that if they are to end their big-match curse. 

Alex Song has been one of the Premier League’s most improved players and is turning out to be one of the world’s best defensive midfielders. Last season, he was an absolute beast, a shield to the defence.

This year he has incorporated a more offensive style of play and likes to venture out forward. Although this has reaped good dividends against the smaller teams and has increased his overall contributions to the side, in the big games Arsenal require him to sit back and carry out his defensive duties.

He has to curb his tendency to venture out forward and fulfil his role as a defensive midfielder. Arsenal possess enough firepower at front to manage his loss. But where Arsenal really have a problem is in defence. So it is paramount that Song sticks to his defensive duties and sorts out the trouble at the back.

He can do a role similar to Sergio Busquets at Barcelona—he can sit back, become the third defender and help repel the counterattacking moves and help in defensive duties.

Arsenal in these top matches need to show a more ruthless streak in front of goal. Chances in these matches will be minimal, and when a chance arises, Arsenal need to seize the opportunity and punish their opponents.

In last season’s matches against Chelsea and Manchester United, Arsenal created chances, but when it came to finishing off these chances, Arsenal came unstuck. These misses will come back to haunt Arsenal later on.

Very often Arsenal get some great chances to open the scoring or equalise but it just goes begging. They offer their opponents too many let offs. Even this season against Chelsea, Koscielny threw away a great chance to open the scoring in the second minute itself. These chances won’t come again, and once the chance is lost, it is very tough to create chances.

If you look at the top teams in the world, they take the chances that come their way. Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United are all clinical and ruthless in front of goal, and Arsenal need to take a leaf out of their book and acquire more deadliness in front of goal.

Arsenal often fail to break down the bigger clubs, like mentioned in the first slide, and in such cases what is required is a proper plan B. Arsenal desperately require a plan to fall upon when everything else fails.

In all their matches, Arsenal always look for their preferred approach of putting together passes and a slow buildup. But this can easily fail and not be effective enough. Arsenal should look to vary it up a little more.

In the summer Arsene Wenger signed Marouane Chamakh. Chamakh is widely regarded as one of the best headers of the ball, and that is where his strengths lie. Arsenal should look to exploit this advantage and put in more quality balls into the box. Arsenal also have Bendtner, who also offers an aerial threat. For this plan to go smoothly, Arsenal require their full backs to put in pinpoint crosses, or else the attack may break down.

This means that Arsenal have another option with which they can look to score goals and create chances.