Same old Arsenal, same old story and the same old performance. Arsenal are imploding in the later stages of the season and it is an all too familiar sight as the Gunners somehow are going to end up fourth in the league despite having a great chance of taking pole position in the race for the Premier League title.
It has been the same criticism for Arsene Wenger as well regarding his team. They do not seem to have the bottle to pick up crucial results at crucial times and that is what is hurting them the most.
Arsenal do have a great number of players and their quality cannot be doubted but sometimes changing things up could well be the way for the Gunners to get things done. Arsene does have a great footballing brain but he doesn’t use it to mix things up a bit.
Having a Plan B is something that every football team needs in the world and here are three things that Arsenal and Arsene should employ if not this season, then at least next season.
Playing with two out and out strikers
We know Arsene has this tendency to go up top with one striker and play with a couple of wingers or attackers alongside him but when you have a decent striker in Alexis Sanchez, he was a pretty good one during his time at Udinese, it shouldn’t be a surprise but a real option to use him in that role.
Playing him out wide severely cuts his influence on the game, but you could put him alongside a Giroud or a Welbeck and see how it goes. His movement and pace would create great opportunities for the rest and that could be the way to go in those tricky games.
Shoot from outside the box
Arsenal might like scoring against the opposition but one thing that stuck out was the percentage of shots that the Gunners take from outside the box. This season, Arsenal have shot only 25% from outside the box which is the lowest in the Premier League.
Granted shooting from outside does not always equate to goals but having a pop from long range can work out a bit as well, just as Adam Lallana. Also, the need to score that perfect goal in a game which is tied at 0-0 has to go away. You see a chance to shoot, you should shoot on goal, it should be that simple.
Cross it in for the big guy
Olivier Giroud might not be the best striker of the ball on the floor but give him an aerial duel and he probably will come out on top. So it is a surprise as to why Arsenal do not cross the ball enough to him.
Giroud does not have the pace to trouble most defences, so why give the ball at his feet or expect him to run around the channels? Cross the ball to him and let him do what he does best, head the ball at least on target, if not anything else.