Are Arsenal About to Bottle the Premier League Again? | OneFootball

Three successive domestic losses have left alarm bells sounding at the Emirates Stadium, after yet another performance that failed to inspire on Saturday.

Arsenal lost at the hands of Bournemouth, despite head coach Mikel Arteta’s rallying cry to their fans pre-match.

If title rivals Manchester City win both their games in hand, it’ll leave them just three points behind Arsenal, with the sides still to play each other.

It’s all getting a bit tense: is another ‘bottle’ seriously on the cards?

Is another ‘bottle’ possible?

After only suffering three defeats in their opening 49 matches of this season in all competitions, Arsenal have lost three of their last four games.

Ahead of an important home game against Bournemouth, Arteta asked that fans get down to the stadium early to provide their support. “Get up early, have an early breakfast, bring your lunch and let’s go for it together because it has to be a big day.”

But the Emirates was filled with boos upon referee Michael Oliver’s full-time whistle, in a game where the Gunners produced just 0.19 xG from open play – their second-lowest in a home league match since records began.

The 2-1 loss for Arsenal opened up an opportunity for fellow title challengers, Manchester City, who are nine points behind with two games in hand. The two sides are still to play each other at the Etihad on April 19th.

While you’d normally back a side nine points clear at the top of the table in April to get the job done, Arsenal’s performance levels are taking an almighty slide.

Arsenal’s Form A Worry

Arsenal’s current form will be the biggest concern for their fans. A side so heavily reliant on set pieces, teams are starting to find the formula to stop them from creating opportunities.

Against second-tier outfit Southampton in the FA Cup, Arteta had no answers to the Saints, who opted to bypass his side’s midfield by going direct throughout the tie.

Losing to a decent team in Bournemouth as a one-off might not be the worst of results, but it’s becoming a theme – Arsenal are not creative enough from open play situations.

The Gunners have a big week ahead, as Portuguese outfit Sporting CP visit in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, before they travel to the Etihad in a season-defining fixture for both.

Win the games this coming week, and the developing noise around their season will calm down. Lose these games, and the end of the season could be a rough one for everybody surrounding Arsenal.