After two back to back defeats in the league and with only one point secured in 2013, Arsenal are in a some kind of crisis. Currently in 6th place after 22 games, the Gunners have managed 34 points so far and according to stats from the previous four seasons, a team finishing 4th should at-least have 70 points on board.
Arsenal are 36 points behind that mark with 16 games left to play. Is it achievable or not ? The answer pretty much depends on what Arsene Wenger decides to do in the remaining few days of the January transfer window. Looking at their games against City and Chelsea, Arsenal showed real quality in their second half but failed to hold their nerves at the beginning of the games. Though they may feel unlucky that some of the decisions went against them, but playing in the highest level the team should be ready to face such tough situations.
According to Daily Mirror, Arsene Wenger held a crisis talk with his Arsenal squad yesterday in a desperate attempt to save their season. Arsenal players who are due for a warm – down session normally after match days but following their recent poor run Wenger felt the necessity to have a team talk and has asked his players to “man up” if they want to be in a touching distance of Champions league qualification.
Wenger has advised his players to show some spirit and a much needed steel in the midfield contributing to the efforts from Jack Wilshere Theo Walcott.
And Theo Walcott spoke about Arsenal’s future and admits that the Gunners are at risk being left behind by the their immediate rivals. He said,
“There are a lot of teams that have got stronger this year, so we need to step on the gas. We don’t want to be playing catch-up. We want to get points on the board,” Walcott said. We have a tough game at home against West Ham so we need to be ready. It is a massive game, we have home support and we need to start clocking up points there.
“We have been hot and cold at home of late so we must be very positive and if we show the commitment that we did in the second half against Chelsea we should be fine. We need to show that character to win from the start, not when we concede a goal.”
Arsenal host West Ham at Emirates tomorrow in a must win game and 3 points will help them close the gap with 5th place Everton. The Gunners still have to face Liverpool, Spurs, Stoke and Manchester United in the league.