Winning in football is already difficult, let alone conquering the Premier League title after 22 years of waiting and the ambition to win the European championship. But at the present time, Arsenal is making that journey more difficult than ever.
Coach Mikel Arteta's team declined right in the crucial period. They have only won 1 in the last 5 matches - a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Sporting CP's stadium in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. The Gunners have continuously disappointed in the Premier League and cup competitions. They have been eliminated from two leagues, and the gap in the standings has narrowed to 6 points, in the context that Manchester City still has one match to play.
After the match against Sporting, Arteta emphasized the physical factor as a major reason for the stagnation: "That's why we are the only English team still staying in this league. The schedule is really harsh.
Declan Rice's case is the clearest proof. The English midfielder was even confirmed not in a physical condition to play.
Declan Rice is exhausted. He can hardly play, but still played all 94 minutes with high form" - Arteta added.
From another perspective, the player overload also reflects the positive side when Arsenal plays more matches, going deeper on many fronts. However, managing fitness in a long season is always a key problem.
Arsenal have played 54 matches this season - the most among teams in the Premier League. The dense playing volume puts great pressure on high-intensity positions such as full-backs and central midfielders. Names like Jurrien Timber, Martin Zubimendi and Rice are almost working continuously, leading to the risk of overload and injury.
Timber's recent absence is a typical example, directly affecting the stability of the team. Meanwhile, Zubimendi and Rice are in the group of players who have played the most minutes this season - a sign of Arsenal's clear dependence on the midfield.
It is not difficult to understand why professional indicators are starting to decline. Rice reduced the frequency of pressing, while Zubimendi's match only achieved a 76% pass accuracy rate - the second lowest for him in the Premier League this season.
This raises questions about Arteta's ability to rotate the squad. Reserve options like Christian Norgaard are almost not used, while players like Myles Lewis-Skelly or Ben White are also rarely given opportunities even though Arsenal sometimes leads deeply.
Even in the matches that have been decided, Arteta still limits substitutions. The North London derby or the victory over Burnley is an example, when Arsenal could rotate early but did not do so.
The lack of rotation may have contributed to the injuries of Timber or Riccardo Calafiori, although this is still difficult to prove.
Another problem lies in Arsenal's way of winning. They rarely create a big gap, which means there is not much space in the match to rotate forces. However, reality shows that Arteta still has opportunities but has not fully utilized them.
The feeling of being out of breath is not unfamiliar to Arsenal, but this season is expected to be different thanks to the squad depth. However, a series of injuries to Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz or Timber have affected the plan.
However, Arsenal is still leading and has reached the Champions League semi-finals - not a bad position. However, the problem lies in the road ahead.
The next 3 matches against Man City, Atletico Madrid and Newcastle will be a huge challenge. With the current situation, key players like Rice almost have no chance to rest.
Arteta is forced to maximize the core group of players. If Arsenal wins the championship, it may not be a glorious journey, but a victory of bravery, resilience and endurance. And for Arsenal at this time, that is probably the only way.
We are not perfect and still need to improve a lot. But ahead are two special matches with Atletico, and we will prepare best. Arsenal needs to maintain their identity, play as they have shown, then the chance of winning will be very high" - Arteta said after Arsenal reached the Champions League semi-finals for the second consecutive time.
