Top 3 reasons for Arsenal's downfall this season

3) Poor squad rotation policy

Mertesacker and Koscielny

I fail to remember the last time either Koscielny or Mertesacker were rested for a Premier League game and Vermealen was given a place in the starting line-up. Or Carl Jenkinson given a nod over Bacary Sagna for the right-back position. In contrast to Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City who regularly rotate their squads to give time to rest to their players, Wenger has stuck to the same starting eleven with the exception of one or two changes for almost the entire season.

Players like Olivier Giroud, Santi Cazorla and the defensive quartet of Mertesacker, Koscielny, Szczesny and Sagna along with midfield players like Mikel Arteta had been regular starters for Wenger’s the entire season. It is evident that owing to insufficient squad rotation, players have been struggling to give decent performances on some occasions.

Giroud looks tired up front, Arteta has been unable to live up to his own standards and the defense has been very leaky of late. Wenger needs to improve his squad depth, work on his rotation policy because he cannot rely on a particular bunch of players for a very long time. Maybe for a change give Vermealen a place in the Defensive midfield ahead of Arteta ?