Is Arsenal Bottling the League Again?

But things could be looking better for the Gunners' once again as the club is dropping points as of late, behind Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Manchester City.
In the meantime, manager Miek Arteta is on the verge of going on another spending spree to sign a striker.
When everything was going right for those with Arsenal FC tickets came the loss against Fulham.
The recent loss to Fulham felt like a harsh blow that showed the world what was missing from the Arsenal side. Both manager Mikel Arteta and Declan Rice highlighted that their performance was "not good enough."
Rice did not comment about their title chances since bringing in such a comment would only be ideal when their standing is better. Last year, Arsenal were pipped to be Premier League champions, only to lose the plot in the last few games and give it away to Manchester City.
The question of needing to be better comes with several other concerns. After spending over 200 million pounds, the question that will run around all the fans with Arsenal FC tickets is if they didn't choose right.
Despite the heavy spending this time, the fans will agree that the squad looks weaker than last year's.
Spending an amount of £200 million and above and not having the right squad for the Premier League is a questionable concern for the club.
Ever since Declan Rice joined Arsenal, he has made an immediate impact. The opening games saw him contribute to crucial goals and had several involvements on the field.
And those with Arsenal FC tickets loved him.
But, unfortunately, the times haven't been right for the 24-year-old as he is struggling to get back into form.
He was responsible for giving away the crucial penalty in the game involving West Ham, his earlier club, and was seen as severely underperforming against Fulham.
The Fulham game reflected on the broader struggles of the Arsenal side, and experts think that Arteta could benefit from making a change by helping Rice get back to form.
The suggestion is to have Rice in a more attacking position than at the back of the midfield. The experts believe that through this, Rice would have an opportunity to return to his playing rhythm and diversify his gameplay.
Earlier this season, Carl Ancelotti used this tactic to revitalize their new signing, Jude Bellingham, to play a more attacking role in the team, which made him a playmaker at Real Madrid.
Similarly, an attacking position where he contributes to the goals scored more can significantly uplift Arsenal's struggles with their attack and bolster Rice's confidence.
The goalkeeper issue has yet to get any better for Arsenal. The upgrade from Aaron Ramsdale to David Raya has raised several eyebrows. Despite his unstable form and conceding unnecessary goals, Arteta has had his faith in Raya instead of Ramsdale.
Arteta is backing Raya, but this choice unintentionally adds to the team's problems rather than solving them. There are no indications that Arsenal is looking for another keeper that could prolong this issue at the back.
Meanwhile, Paul Merson has stressed that it is time for Aaron Ramsdale to fight for his spot in the Arsenal starting lineup. While Aaron Ramsdale was a fan favorite with those with Arsenal FC tickets, he has been left without help from the starting XI, but he now has a chance to fight back.
Despite speculation about a potential departure from North London for regular game time, recent reports indicate that Arsenal won't want Ramsdale to leave if they want to win the Premier League this year.
Merson acknowledged that it becomes tough when you have two goalkeepers of similar stature and have to allow them to fight for their place. It makes it complicated for a goalkeeper even to see a move elsewhere because he needs adequate game time.
Additionally, a keeper like Ramsdale will still be a valued player in Manchester United, Chelsea, or Liverpool.
Ramsdale has had nine outings this season, counting nine goals and three clean sheets. On the other hand, Raya has 20 appearances, with eight clean sheets, while conceding 19 goals.
It looks like Mikel Arteta wants all the support he can for the second half of this season, as the stakes are riding high for Arsenal. To bring in reinforcements, the club has called the U23 Brazilian star Marquinhos back from his loan.
The young Brazilian forward, who joined Nantes on a season-long loan from Arsenal in August, has seen limited playing time, having made just one start for the Ligue 1 side since his arrival. Marquinhos signed with Arsenal in 2022 and will return to the Emirates sooner than expected.
While he has only played for Arsenal just six times, he made a great impact on his debut with a goal and an assist to win the match against FC Zurich.
Arteta praised Marquinhos after the match, supporting his positive attitude and professionalism and emphasizing the importance of giving playing time to youngsters.
Before leaving for Nantes, MArquinhos had a short stint with Norwich City in the Championship, making 11 appearances. In his professional career in Sao Paulo, he played 42 games and was selected for the Brazil U23 side.
To bring in new blood to the team midseason, Arteta and Arsenal are planning for the transfer of Ajax teenager Jorrel Hato.
A versatile 17-year-old who can play both center back and left back, he is regarded as one of the rising prospects in the free and has 18 months to go on his Ajax contract.
The Dutch club Ajax wants him on a longer deal, but Arsenal wants an early signing.
This signing aligns with Arsenal's future vision of building a sustainable squad, and this youngster will fit in perfectly.
However, Arsenal might have to wait until the Summer of this year to get the teenager in.