Arsenal Football Club may have found itself in the FA Cup semi-final, but it has been a disappointing season for the North London side that has made positive progress under their new manager, Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal’s 1-0 loss at Aston Villa that confined the Gunners to the 10th spot on the Premier League table is their worst league finish since 1995.
- Arsenal has lost 10 league matches for a third consecutive season for the first time since a run of seven between 1981/82 and 1987/88.
- Arsenal’s 0-1 deficit at half-time against Aston Villa is the 13th game this season they have found themselves behind at the interval. Tt’s the joint-most in a single season for the Gunners alongside 1994-95, a campaign in which they went on to finish 12th.
- Of the 46 Premier League goals Arsenal has conceded this season, 21 have come via set-piece situations, the highest such ratio in the division.
- 17 points dropped against Brighton, Villa, Watford, Palace, and Norwich this season.
- Arsenal has also equaled their record for their worst Premier League season on the road in 2017-18 with only four victories coming against Southampton, West Ham, Wolves, and Newcastle United.
Aston Villa in a relegation battle needed a win at all cost against the visitors that recently outsmarted Manchester City in the Semi-final of the FA Cup last Saturday.
The Birmingham-based club eventually got it through Egyptian international, Trezeguet in the first half. This means that the Gunners can now realistically finish between eighth and 10th position in the league ahead of their final league contest against Watford at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Watford have found themselves in the relegation spot after being hammered 4-0 at home by Manchester City. With Aston Villa above them on goals difference, they need a miracle to defeat Arsenal at home.
This present Arsenal result is a reminiscence of 1995 season when the team finished in 12th-place. This led to the sack of long-serving boss George Graham mid-season after nearly nine years in charge of the club.
This is also the third consecutive season that Arsenal will lose 10 league matches. The last time Arsenal had it bad like this was over a seven-year period between 1981-88.
Arteta reacts as Arsenal lost to Aston Villa
Arteta said the season “is not good enough for the club, adding that it hurt to see the club suffer.
“It’s not good enough for this club. We need to improve in many areas, the team and individually.”
The only avenue for Arsenal to play in the Europa League is to beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final on 1 August to play in the Europa League next year. They will be nine points behind the team in the fourth position going into Sunday’s final league game against Watford.
The last time Arsenal failed to be in the top six was in 1994-95 – when caretaker manager Stewart Houston oversaw a 12th-placed finish after George Graham’s departure in February.
Arteta said the club has a strong plan to reinforce for the summer.
“The Kroenkes and the board and the sporting director, I have their full backing. I have that 100% – the fans have to believe what I’m saying.
“We are putting a strong plan together to do as much as we can in a short period and the league table doesn’t lie.
“The top teams in certain areas are better than us. We know the challenge, it’s really big and we’re excited for what we have ahead of us.”
Mikel Arteta Press conference after the match against Aston Villa.
