Arsenal Showcase Diabolical Defending Again in Dortmund

Arsenal might have some new signings, but they are blighted by the same old problems. In the 2-0 loss to Dortmund on Tuesday, Arsenal showed a worrying frailty that suggests they’re not over their defensive issues against the bigger teams. 

Let’s start with some praise for the German side. Jurgen Klopp’s team were on the front foot right from the first whistle, pressing Arsenal high up the field and attacking with speed and conviction.

Coincidentally, it was reminiscent of Arsenal’s performance against Manchester City at the weekend. On that occasion, the Gunners threatened to blow City away with an effervescent, exciting display.

However, that was at home. Away from the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal perennially struggle to impose themselves upon elite opposition. When that happens, their defence is inevitably exposed.

There were worrying signs in the final stages against City, when Manuel Pellegrini’s team missed a succession of opportunities to snatch the three points, falling 3-0. Against Dortmund, those cracks in the defence became yawning chasms.

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Arsenal fans must be wondering how and why this keeps happening. Arsene Wenger is a very intelligent man. He must be aware of his side’s defensive problems. Yet he continues to persist with strategies that invite this kind of drubbing. 

The Guardian's David Hytner highlighted how transfer-window activity has added to this:

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With no Debuchy, no Monreal and possibly no Chambers, Wenger is short of options at the back and he was hardly in the position to lose any in the first place. It was his decision to leave the summer transfer window with five senior defenders in his squad – plus Chambers, who is on the Under-21 list. Now there are only three, plus Chambers, and it is no exaggeration to say Wenger is struggling to name a back-line.

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Take one example: Arsenal’s full-backs consistently push far too high up the field. Arsenal are an attacking side and as such want to have full-backs involved in their buildup play. They provide a lot of the team’s width in the final third.

That makes sense.

However, allowing both full-backs to position themselves well inside the opponent’s half is senseless. When one moves forward, the other should be more cautious to provide cover. Arsenal’s approach is simply too cavalier.

Perhaps Arsenal could afford to let their full-backs attack so freely if they had a more reliable holding midfielder. Mikel Arteta’s display in Dortmund approached parody. Arsenal spent the summer hunting for an athletic midfielder, and against BVB Arteta seemed to be on a one-man mission to demonstrate why. 

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Arteta has been a superb servant to Arsenal. Criticism of him must always be tempered by recognition of his dedication to the cause. However, all too often he is steamrollered by younger, stronger opposition.

In games where Arsenal dominate, he can be an important metronome at the heart of midfield. He can usually be relied upon to keep possession ticking over with his intelligent distribution. 

However, as The Guardian's Daniel Taylor notes:

When Arsenal are on the back foot, Arteta gets blown away. Dortmund players stormed past him as if he wasn’t there. It’s hard to imagine the likes of Manchester City’s Fernandinho or Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic standing for the same thing. 

Arsenal can’t change the personnel until the January transfer window, so the onus is on Wenger to adapt his tactics accordingly. If he doesn’t, then Arsenal’s hopes of landing silverware this season appear slim.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and will be following the club from a London base throughout the 2014/15 season. Follow him on Twitter here.