Throughout what has been a disjointed and inconsistent first quarter of the season for Arsenal, Thursday night wins have become routine, with the Gunners beating Dundalk 4-2.

The only team to win all six of their group-stage matches in European competition in 

2020-21, the Gunners breezed through to the last 32 of the Europa League but have not won a Premier League game since 1 November. 

Now, with no more continental football until February, Arsenal must translate their accomplished performances in Europe into the Premier League. 

Playing in the Europa League has given Mikel Arteta and his players some much-needed confidence after going more than a month without a win in domestic football, which was evident in the way Arsenal went about their business in Dublin. 

The chance for academy graduates to impress Arteta has continued, with the likes of Folarin Balogun, Eddie Nketiah, Joe Willock, Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith-Rowe and Miguel Azeez all impressing under the Thursday night lights. Hale End products continuing to shine in the first team also has the added benefit of putting pressure on some of the club’s more established players, who have been underwhelming in the league.

At the Aviva Stadium, Arsenal moved the ball with purpose and precision, intent on breaking down the Dundalk defence. This is in stark contrast to their past two league matches, where they looked lost for ideas against the discipline and determination of Tottenham and Wolves respectively. 

They will come up against another resolute side on Sunday, when they face Burnley at Emirates Stadium. If Arteta needs any inspiration for his game plan, then he should continue the policy of picking a mixture of young talent, blended with experienced heads. The Spaniard must send a message out to the squad that no player is infallible, and a smart way to do that would be by including youngsters who have shone in Europe. 

Indeed, after netting against Dundalk, Nketiah is now Arsenal’s top scorer this season, with five goals. In addition, Willock is the first Arsenal player to reach both three goals and three assists in a European campaign since 2016/17, when both Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil did so in the Champions League, according to Opta.

Arteta has also been bold with his choice of formations in Europe, often favouring an unorthodox 3-5-2. Therefore, it is no coincidence that Arsenal have looked far more dangerous in the Europa League, with 20 goals from their six matches. 

With goals hard to come by against admittedly tougher opposition, Arteta should not be afraid of tinkering how Arsenal set up in the Premier League, where they need to inject urgency and fluidity into their play. The Spaniard has preferred a more rigid structure in domestic fixtures, but the extra emphasis on his players’ shape has left them devoid of any attacking instincts. 

Arsenal currently sit 15th in the Premier League table and have a favourable run of fixtures heading into Christmas. As well as the visit of Burnley, the Gunners host Southampton before a trip to out-of-form Everton. These matches seem like the ideal time for Arteta to try something new that gets his team amongst the goals again. Even if wins have to be ground out in the dying minutes, rather than achieved with glitz and glamour, anything will do for Arsenal. 

Just as Arteta got the best of his players by guiding them to an FA Cup trophy, he must lift the squad again, as the focus now shifts to an improvement in Premier League performances after getting the job done in Europe.

Zac Campbell

Arsenal’s abject performance at home to Wolves was emblematic of the struggles Mikel Arteta is experiencing in his first full season as manager.

Arsenal are currently incapable of being able to apply persistent pressure, possess a midfield that passes the ball sideways instead of progressing it and have become utterly predictable in their patterns of play.

These tactical problems seem familiar because it is where Arsenal were at towards the tail end of the Unai Emery era. Following their latest loss to Wolves, the North London Derby will serve as an important litmus test for Arteta’s Arsenal.

In contrast to Arsenal, Tottenham were dogged, disciplined and determined in their quest not to lose at Chelsea on Sunday. Contrast that to the events in north London, where the Gunners looked flat, listless and lost for ideas against a typically well-drilled Wolves side.

After such an impressive showing at Old Trafford to kick off November, Arsenal have endured a wretched run of form since. In three games against Aston Villa, Leeds United and Wolves, they have scored one goal. Their failure to find the back of the net must be fixed  because Arsenal will not start winning matches until they can score consistently.

The North London Derby will be a tell-all tale of whether Arteta is capable of improving Arsenal and, importantly, an examination of the players’ commitment to the cause. Playing against a Spurs side who sit top of the table, a colossal weight will be lifted from Arteta’s shoulders if he can somehow steer his side to victory. However, if Arsenal have to trudge back down the Seven Sisters Road after a heavy defeat, Arteta will face an uncomfortable inquisition from the hierarchy and supporters alike.

There is good reason to believe it may be the latter, too.

Spurs have scored 21 goals in ten league games, going unbeaten since the opening day of the season. Tottenham also boast the best defensive record, having conceded only nine times. They have also passed two tough tests with flying colours, beating Manchester City

2-0 before managing to escape Stamford Bridge with a point.

The two teams were separated by one point before their last meeting in July. Since then, all the progress Arteta made by winning the FA Cup has been lost in recent weeks, thanks to an inability to play football with any kind of fluidity. Contrast that to how Jose Mourinho has got the best out of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, with the fact that he has never lost a home game against the Gunners, and it makes for ominous reading ahead of Arsenal’s trip to White Hart Lane.

As a result, this is as good a chance as the players will get to make amends for another poor performance. Indeed, Arteta has often got the best out of his squad when Arsenal have been billed as pre-match underdogs. This was the case in victories against Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea at the end of last season, so coming into the game as

second-favourites could actually suit the Spaniard’s tactical preparations.

Arteta himself must respond, too.

Whilst he was given some grace with regards to league positions thanks to an excellent FA Cup run, it is up to him to arrest Arsenal’s slide into mid-table mediocrity and push them back into contention for European football. A win against their arch-rivals would do just that, lifting Arsenal back into the top half and on the tail of the top six.

Problems and progress have emerged almost in equal measures since Arteta took charge, but the honeymoon period is over. In order to prove he is the right man for the job, it is time to start winning games.

Approaching his first anniversary as Arsenal manager, nothing would be more valuable to Arteta’s Arsenal than a victory in this vital North London derby.

Zac

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