3 reasons why Arsenal have started the season poorly

When Arsene Wenger announced his departure at the tail end of the 2017-18 season, Arsenal fans all around the world breathed a sigh of collective relief. To them, it signified the end of years of stagnation under a manager whose managerial philosophy had seemingly gone past its sell by date.

Unai Emery was brought in as the new head coach, a decision that was widely lauded by The Gunners faithful, with a sense of palpable relief and optimism. Big things were expected from the Spaniard as he is known to be an astute tactician, with a proven reputation of helping young players become superstars, and with major honours like the Europa League.

However, with a collective total of 0 points from two games, Emery's debut season in the English capital has endured a rough start. These are the three reasons why Arsenal have had a rough start this term.

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#1 Failings in the transfer market

Ozil, deployed as a winger, was a disappointment in both the games

Having a winger who can offer some width and pace will go a long way in making a team click. They press the full backs and the defenders from the front, and perform their defensive duties diligently.

They tend to get into the penalty box, allowing their fullbacks make overlapping runs, covering up for them when they are caught too high up the field.

At Arsenal, there are no specialist wingers who can offer width and pace to the attack. With a very paltry transfer budget, Arsenal couldn't lure Ousmane Dembele or Wilfred Zaha to the English capital.

A winger in the mould of Dembele would have made a world of difference for The Gunners

Unai Emery deployed Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Alex Iwobi as the wingers in his first two games in charge, this exposed the frailties of the squad. Barring Iwobi, the former two are number 10s, and they will never add to the squad what a true winger adds.

Despite the obvious world-class play-making abilities of the number 10s Emery has at his disposal, he might have to give wingers like Welbeck and Nelson starting berths to keep the shape intact.

#2 Uncertainty over midfield pairing

Midfield uncertainty

For the first time in over a decade, Arsenal is brimming with a plethora of midfield options, despite the departures of Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla to West Ham and Villarreal respectively, with each midfielder bringing in a different quality. Lucas Torreira and Mattéo Guendouzi were brought in during the summer to compete with Aaron Ramsey, Granit Xhaka, and Mohamed Elneny.

However, Emery has so far failed to field the right midfield pair in the first two games. Xhaka and Guendouzi were given the starting berths in both games, with Ramsey demoted to the bench for the match at Stamford Bridge.

The Gunners midfield toiled to get the ball to the final third where the likes of Aubameyang, Lacazette, and Ozil can do some real damage. Arsenal couldn’t fathom any chances in the second half against Chelsea after Xhaka was taken off.

Unless Emery can identify the right midfield formation, The Gunners are bound to suffer.

#3 Stars failing to deliver the goods

Poor start

Barring the 19 year old Guendouzi, none of the players who have featured in the first two matches of the season have put in a good showing. From Cech to Aubameyang, everyone put in below par performances.

With the defense still in shambles, midfield unable to rally and dominate the opposition, and the forwards spurning chance after chance, it is easy to see why The Gunners are without a single point after the first two games.

Unless the stars turn up and put in some real shifts, it won’t be long before the Arsenal faithful regret the day they turned on Arsene Wenger.