Is Arsenal collapsing?

The victory in Lisbon during the first stoppage time is Arsenal's only win in their last four matches across all competitions.

1. Three defeats in three domestic tournaments—the League Cup final, the FA Cup, and then the Premier League against Bournemouth—all reflect a common issue for the Gunners: they are more vulnerable than ever at the most crucial moment of the season. The problem is evident throughout Arsenal's lineup.

The defensive system, which had been a strength from the start of the season, is now becoming the team's main issue, conceding two goals per 90 minutes during this period. Against Bournemouth, goalkeeper Raya and his teammates like Gabriel made individual errors, showing psychological instability. Above all, the anxiety stems from Arteta's team struggling to build play from the back.

Meanwhile, the forward line continues to disappoint with remarkably poor performance. At Emirates last weekend, the London capital team generated 2.41 expected goals but scored only one, which came from a set-piece situation—Viktor Gyokeres' successful penalty. This further highlights the club's low efficiency in scoring from open-play situations. Specifically against Bournemouth, the Gunners' chance of scoring from open-play was only 0.19, the second lowest at home since this statistic was recorded.

2. On the other hand, the decline of key players like Zubimendi and Declan Rice in specific matches further negatively impacts the team's playing quality, already suffering from the absence of Martin Odegaard and Saka. The return of Kai Havertz and Eze could not increase the squad's depth.

At the same time, apart from the Swedish striker, the Spanish coach has no one more reliable, demonstrated by substituting Martinelli, Havertz, and Madueke with Trossard, Eze, and Jesus, which brought no change. The failure or stagnation of Arteta reached its peak when the 44-year-old coach pushed Gabriel into the penalty area aiming to receive any pass from behind. This can be considered an unofficial indictment of Arsenal.

Arteta has been here for six and a half years to build a squad and a strategy, especially this season to "crush" opponents and win titles. But right now, Arsenal is starting to show signs of collapse. They have given Man City "space" to close the points gap, potentially leading to a dramatic ending for a season that seemed almost discarded.

3. Arsenal now not only has to deal with the pressure from Man City's pursuit but also faces the history that Pep Guardiola's team has created in the Premier League. This creates a serious psychological problem for the London capital team.

In the final 14 matches of the previous eight seasons, Pep Guardiola's Man City lost only 13 games, two of which were after the title was secured. Man City won 88 matches during that period, meaning they averaged 11 wins in the remaining 14 matches of the season. The points Pep's team earned in the final 14 matches (from the 2017/18 season to 2024/25) are 275, while Arteta's number is 209.

Statistics also show that April is the month when the blue-shirted team accelerates fastest, and Arsenal's win rate is the lowest compared to any month under Arteta. The average points The Gunners earned this month is 1.5 compared to Man City's 2.7. Man City has overtaken them twice in the past three seasons to win the Premier League. And this season?