Arsenal vs. Blackburn: 5 Things We Learned in Gunners' 4-3 Loss

The once strong and powerful Arsenal find themselves toward the bottom of the EPL table with five games gone. The worst loss came today when Arsenal lost to Blackburn Rovers 4-3. This is a tough loss against a team that may be facing relegation at the end of the season.

Arsenal's defense was shaky at best. They were very unlucky in the case of three goals two of which were own goals and the last being a blown call. Arsene Wenger's signings struggled to produce but that should change with time.  

Wenger faces some big questions on his future which is full of unknowns right now. On a brighter note, Arsenal's offense was very solid putting away three goals. They look solid and give hope for the future for a team who is currently in a slump.  

Right now Arsenal needs to focus on the Premier League and nothing else. If they do well in their league success will come in cup matches. Lastly Arsenal needs a bit of luck to get out of this slump. That is just a quick overview on a team who is looking to rebound after a tough loss enjoy.  

Defense Is Playing Poor

Arsenal allowed four goals against Blackburn putting them at a total of 14 goals in the last five matches.

Arsenal's biggest weakness came from their defense. The new signings that were ultimately supposed to stabilize the Gunners defense were rendered ineffective against Blackburn. Former Bundesliga player Per Mertesacker was supposed to be the rock in set pieces but he did not do his job allowing two goals off of set pieces.  

Mertesacker also ensured victory for Blackburn after he couldn't hit the net on his header from three yards in extra time. The loss couldn't be all pinned on him, but it hurts when you have a chance to bring back your team. Obviously Mertesacker needs time to adjust to the EPL but this needs to happen fast.  

Fellow central defender Laurent Koscielny didn't do much to help the team. Instead he ended up helping Blackburn. On Blackburn's third goal Koscielny failed to clear the ball by missing his header. Both he and Mertesacker were pulled out of position. Koscielny finished into his own net which would end his day.  

Arsenal's defense isn't all to blame on the loss though. Two own goals were scored by Arsenal which almost never happens. Plus the third Blackburn goal was based on a controversial call where Yakubu was clearly offsides.  

It is clear that Arsenal's back four need to get more time together to figure out each others styles and they need to communicate better. Blown calls will happen and this time unfortunately Arsenal was on the losing side. Maybe it is time for FIFA to take another look at instant replay, but that is another story.  

Arsene Wenger Needs to Figure Out a Solution

Arsenal's coach Arsene Wenger has a lot to accomplish in a very short amount of time. His job is on the line. Wenger is a great coach who has done wonders for Arsenal becoming the most successful manager in their history. 

Wenger was in trouble after the embarrassing loss to Manchester United, but with a loss to Blackburn, he is in more trouble then before. Arsenal played Blackburn with a relatively healthy team and still lost mostly due to Wenger's signings.

Wenger also passed up on Bolton's Gary Cahill and Everton's Phil Jagielka who are both EPL hardened veterans who could have helped Arsenal a lot but Wenger refused to pay the price.  

Wenger's team blew a lead to a team that will probably find themselves being relegated at the end of the season. Wenger needs to turn things around or he could find himself in a position where the board could be forced to act.     

Offense Is Solid

Arsenal looked very strong coming into the game and they performed very well despite their shaky defense.  

Gervinho and Mikel Arteta both scored their first Arsenal goals along with Marouane Chamakh.  

Arsenal's offense was strong and was able to give the Gunner's a lead before the defense fell apart. Robin van Persie tested Paul Robinson with a strong shot after Arsenal fell two goals behind.  

Arsenal's offense were doing there assignments and testing the Blackburn's keeper. The Gunner's offense put them in the lead but the shaky defense struggled which also mixed with some real bad luck (two own goals).  

Arsenal need to keep their offense producing so that when their defense is able to stabilize they will be a strong contender.  

Arsenal Needs to Focus on Finishing Top 4 in the EPL

Arsenal are currently below average within the EPL table. They could be 11 points off the Premiership pace by the end of the weekend.  

Out of the five matches Arsenal has played in they have lost three and drawn one and won one. Right now they are on pace to be relegated.  This is very dangerous territory to be in.  

Now there should not be a huge concern that Arsenal will be relegated because they will turn things around once players adjust to the EPL and their new team. They have an offense that can produce now they need to get their defense up to standards.  

Arsenal needs to do their best to finish in the top four. This is a big goal for the Gunners and it will take a lot of work to complete. If Arsenal can get within the top four they will be in all the big tournaments. That is the biggest concern for Arsenal. 

Arsenal Needs a Bit of Luck

Arsenal has had a lot of misfortune fall on them in this last game. Not only did they get two own goals but there was also a blown call that made the defeat one goal worse.  

Both Laurent Koscielny and Alex Song scored own goals in this match which would ultimately loss them the match. The chances of this happening again are very unlikely.

Another of Blackburn's goals came off of a blown call. This is going to happen in every game. Yes it is unfortunate, but at some point in the season, Arsenal may have a similar situation that goes there way.  

Take away three goals and Arsenal has this game won. This still does not excuse Arsenal from their shaky defense which will need to be improved and undoubtably will be improved over the course of the season.