Blackburn vs. Arsenal: 5 Things We Learned About the Gunners

Boring, boring Arsenal?

They wish.

One-nil to Arsenal?

Only in their wildest dreams.

In reality, Arsenal slumped to its third defeat of the young English Premier League season Saturday, losing 4-3 to a poor Blackburn Rovers side at Ewood Park. And if Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is to take anything from the match, it must be this:

Arsenal's defense is not good enough. There it is. Plain, simple, blunt.

The defense wasn't just unlucky—though luck played a role in three of Blackburn's goals.

The defense isn't too young and inexperienced—though one regular did miss the match.

And there can't be any more excuses—though it's true that the new recruits still need time to settle in.

This wasn't the group of kids that got lit up for eight goals by Manchester United. No, these were the reinforcements.

And aside from a few exceptions—notably midfielder Jack Wilshere and central defender Thomas Vermaelen—this was a mostly up-to-strength Arsenal.

And that mostly up-to-strength Arsenal failed, miserably, in the rain at Ewood Park.

Here are five things we learned about Arsenal from Saturday's match.

1. The Defense Is Not Good Enough

Arsenal allowed four more goals Saturday, taking its total to 14 in five matches.

How bad is that?

Per a tweet from @OptaJoe: "Only two sides (Southampton 98/99 and Derby 07/08) have ever conceded more goals after five PL games than Arsenal this season. Frosty."

Southampton finished 17th in 1998-99, just above the relegation zone. Derby County finished 20th and in 2007-08, and was relegated with only 11 points.

Here's the thing: As hard as it is to believe, if Arsenal keeps playing the way it's playing now, the Gunners will be relegated.

Arsenal's main weakness is defense, and two of the worst culprits Saturday came from the ranks of Arsene Wenger's new signings. Like usual, set pieces were a problem, but that was far from the only issue.

Arsenal twice took the lead Saturday against Blackburn, only to allow soft equalizers. Gervinho opened the scoring with his first Arsenal goal in the 10th minute, but Blackburn equalized 15 minutes later on a goal that should not have happened.

A David Hoilett through-pass freed Yakubu at the edge of the Arsenal box, and Yakubu's first-time shot beat easily Wojciech Szczesny. Replays showed that both of Arsenal's two new defensive signings played roles in the goal.

Central defender Per Mertesacker allowed Yakubu to run in space behind him, possibly assuming his teammates were playing an offside trap. But left back Andre Santos stepped up too slowly, playing Yakubu onside.

After taking a 2-1 lead into halftime, Arsenal allowed another equalizer early in the second half. This time the goal exploited another Arsenal weakness: set pieces.

Blackburn took a free kick from the right channel, and Alex Song steered the ball into his own net with a thigh-trap, illustrating the need for defensive players to first try to win the ball with their heads if possible.

The next goal also came from a set piece, with Yakubu bagging his second after Blackburn worked a corner. Replays showed he was offside, but that can't mask Arsenal's weakness on set pieces.

Part of the issue might come from Arsenal's refusal to man-mark on set pieces, but whatever the problem is, Arsenal is becoming historically inept in that department. According to @OptaJoe, fully half of Arsenal's goals allowed since the start of last season have come from set pieces.

Blackburn's final goal came on a counter-attack, with Laurent Koscielny scoring Arsenal's second own-goal.

That put Arsenal's defensive record at 14 goals allowed in five matches. And with two new defensive signings playing key roles in the latest debacle, it's difficult to assess where Arsenal can go from here.

Perhaps communication is a problem, since Arsenal's back four haven't played together long.

Perhaps it was a bit of bad luck, since Arsenal scored two own goals—how often does that happen?—and Yakubu was offside on a third.

Perhaps it will turn around soon. For the sake of Arsenal's future, it must.

2. Thomas Vermaelen Can't Come Back Quickly Enough

Arsenal did play without one regular starter Saturday. Center back Thomas Vermaelen, who has been perhaps the team's best defensive performer the past few seasons, sat out with a long-term injury.

And the Gunners clearly missed him.

In his absence, Laurent Koscielny partnered Per Mertesacker in central defense. Both played poorly at times.

Koscielny scored an own goal. Mertesacker, for his part, often looked confused and uncomfortable.

In the second half, Mertesacker nearly allowed a goal when he tried a one-man offside trap on Mauro Formica. He stepped up as a pass came through the Arsenal line, but he didn't see that Koscielny was about three yards behind him.

Formica didn't score, but Arsenal's defensive lapses proved costly all day.

The Gunners failed to spring the offside trap on Yakubu in the first half, as Andre Santos took too long to step up. And communication seemed difficult between the two new players and the two veterans, Koscielny and Bacary Sagna.

Santos looked slow and out of shape.

Mertesacker looked confused.

Sagna limped off with an injury, and his replacement, Johan Djourou, immediately became the target of Blackburn's attacks.

Koscielny scored a goal for the other team.

That's not the resume of a title-winning back line. It's more like the resume of a lower-half back line.

And that's exactly what Arsenal will be until Vermaelen returns.

3. Arsene Wenger Really Is in Trouble Now

Arsene Wenger, the most successful manager in Arsenal history, is now fighting for his job.

In reality, he probably already was.

Wenger must have started feeling pressure after Arsenal's disastrous 8-2 loss at Manchester United earlier this season. But in some ways, Saturday's loss to Blackburn was even worse.

Coming into Saturday, Blackburn propped up the league table with one point from four matches. Now the Rovers sit about Arsenal in the table.

In other words, Arsenal just lost to a relegation-level team despite taking two leads. And remember, it happened with all of Wenger's new signings.

The loss to United came at the worst time for Arsenal, which played without a host of regular players. But on Saturday, Wenger's squad was mostly full-strength and it still lost.

Unless Wenger can turn it around soon, the Arsenal board might be forced to act.

4. The Offense Actually Played Well

For all of Arsenal's defensive frailties, its offense actually performed well Saturday.

Gervinho and Mikel Arteta scored their first Arsenal goals, and Marouane Chamakh scored his first league goal since last November. In between, the Gunners played some of the trademark free-flowing football.

Everyone got involved.

Andrei Arshavin played well in the first half, causing problems all around the Blackburn defense.

Gervinho made several strong runs from the wing into the center.

Robin van Persie inspired the attack after Arsenal went down two goals, testing Paul Robinson with a rasping shot and a strong header.

Alex Song pulled the strings in the first half from his holding midfield role.

Arteta scored for the second time this season at Ewood Park—he had another with Everton—and again filled Cesc Fabregas' old role admirably.

Aaron Ramsey provided a beautiful cross for Arteta's goal.

That's everybody. All six offensive players contributed. It should have been enough.

5. Never Mind Europe for Now

After the match, commentators spoke about how Arsenal could be 11 points off the Premiership pace by the end of the weekend.

That's true, but considering Arsenal's current situation, that's beside the point.

Arsenal has played five matches this season. The Gunners have lost three, drawn one and won one. They've been outscored 14-6.

At best, that's the form of mid-table obscurity. At worst, it's the stuff of relegation.

It's almost unthinkable that Arsenal could be relegated, but for now it's infinitely more likely than the Gunners winning the title—or even qualifying for Europe.