Why Arsene Wenger Is Under Most Pressure for Arsenal Following Draw with Spurs

Arsenal’s disappointing draw at home to rivals Tottenham has seen focus intensify on manager Arsene Wenger. The Frenchman might have hoped that winning the FA Cup at the end of the 2013/14 would relieve some of the pressure on his beleaguered shoulders. However, just a few games into the new season, he is under scrutiny once again.

Some of the fans’ frustration with the Spurs result is directed, justifiably, at the players. Mathieu Flamini in particular has come under fire for the simple mistake he made to give Tottenham the opening goal. Receiving a ball from Per Mertesacker 30 yards from his own goal, he failed to show the requisite awareness and technique to evade Spurs’ high press. A loose touch saw him dispossessed by Christian Eriksen, who played in Nacer Chadli to score. 

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Flamini’s technical limitations should not come as news to anyone. They have been evident throughout his two spells in north London, and Flamini made an almost identical mistake away to Manchester City last year. Had Wenger done what many Gunners supporters desired and added a world-class defensive midfielder, Arsenal might not have been left quite so exposed by Flamini’s fallibilities. 

Transfer business has long been a bone of contention between Wenger and the Arsenal fans. However, there is a new and even more troubling issue emerging: that of team selection.

In Arsenal’s previous Premier League game against Aston Villa, Arsene Wenger reverted to the 4-2-3-1 system that had served them relatively well in 2013/14, deploying Mesut Ozil in his favoured central role. The strategy worked a treat, with Ozil starring in a comfortable 3-0 win.

Against Spurs, Wenger made the bizarre decision to change a winning formula. He dropped Santi Cazorla, reintroducing Jack Wilshere and asking him to take turns alternating with Ozil on the left wing. Cazorla had been an industrious and creative presence on the left against Villa and leaving him out was a gamble that didn’t really pay off. The Gunners were much better after the Spaniard was introduced as a substitute.

Then there was the decision to leave out Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean has arguably been the star of Arsenal’s season thus far, scoring four goals and impressing everyone with his wonderful combination of outrageous skill and unsurpassed desire. Although he did not play at Villa, he made an impact in the midweek Capital One Cup tie, scoring a stunning free-kick.

Sanchez is capable of changing the course of any game with one moment of brilliance. He has already demonstrated with Chile and Barcelona that he has an ideal temperament for big games. That Arsene Wenger couldn’t find a place for the £35 million-man in his starting XI is difficult to comprehend. 

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Wenger will offer the riposte that his side is one of just two who are yet to lose in the Premier League. His critics, however, will point to a record of just two wins from six games. 

The next Premier League fixture sees Arsenal come up against the division’s other unbeaten team, Chelsea. The Gunners’ season could hinge on that result: win, and spirits will be raised and the campaign revitalised. Lose, and the goodwill created by Wenger’s cup win will threaten to evaporate entirely.

 

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.