The pressure to end the time of waiting for titles lasting more than two decades is clearly affecting Mikel Arteta's team, when they lost to Manchester United 2-3 right at the Emirates Stadium.
This defeat made Arsenal sound the alarm, because their Premier League leading gap has narrowed from 7 points to 4 points after a 3-match unbeaten streak.
From a position completely controlling the race, the "Gunners" suddenly fell into a fragile state right when the season entered a decisive stage. Personal mistakes, lack of coldness in key moments and psychological burden are gradually appearing.
So what is the cause of that short-term decline, and will Arsenal have enough bravery to overcome the pressure of 22 years of waiting to complete their journey to conquer the Premier League?
Is the pressure too great for Arsenal?
If Arteta and his students have felt pressure right from January, then what will they do in April and May if the championship race is still undecided?
A tense atmosphere engulfed the Emirates stadium - which is not too difficult to understand when Arsenal has dropped the championship in two of the three recent seasons despite once holding a great advantage in the rankings.
After the first 30 minutes of playing convincingly against Man United, Arsenal suddenly lost control and collapsed. A similar scenario happened in the draw against Liverpool, although that time the opponent could not take advantage of the opportunity. Psychological signs of tension also appeared in the draw against Nottingham Forest, causing the "Gunners" to miss the opportunity to increase the gap to 11 points.
Instead, the current gap is only 4 points when Man City and Aston Villa are silently close behind.
More worryingly, Arsenal made direct mistakes leading to goals conceded in two of the last four rounds of the Premier League. Including Gabriel Magalhaes' mistake against Bournemouth and Martin Zubimendi's mistake in the match against Man United. This number is even higher than the total number of mistakes they made in the first 19 rounds of the season.
The coming weeks will show whether this is just a temporary mismatch or a sign of a deeper problem. What have Arteta and his students really learned from their past losses, or is the obsession with losing championship races still silently dominating them?
Arteta needs to revive the attack
Setting clear goals can help Arsenal reduce some pressure in the key period of the season. However, the biggest problem at this time lies in the attack, which is being scrutinized more carefully than ever.
The main strikers of the "Gunners" simultaneously declined, making the team increasingly dependent on goals from set pieces.
In addition to set pieces, Arsenal almost has no players maintaining stable scoring ability in the Premier League. Notably, no name from The Gunners is in the top 20 top scorers of the league this season, while the scoring efficiency of the Arsenal striker group belongs to the 3 lowest teams in the league.
This is completely opposite to what they showed in the Champions League. In the European arena, Arsenal have scored 18 goals in 7 matches, including impressive victories against Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid.
So why is Arsenal's attack stuck in the Premier League but playing explosively in the Champions League? Former midfielder Patrick Vieira once pointed out a core issue: "Arsenal needs to return to basic things. Showing themselves, playing freely and attacking. They reach the top thanks to belief and positivity".
One view is that opponents in the Champions League are more willing to play offensively, thereby creating more space for players like Saka, Odegaard or Trossard to exploit. Conversely, in the Premier League, Arsenal often faces low defensive blocks. And Arteta's approach to safety sometimes makes the playing style lack breakthroughs.
It is undeniable that Arteta's tactics are still bringing certain efficiency, as Arsenal holds the top position in the rankings. However, in the decisive stage of the season, finding a balance between control and risk will be the key factor determining whether the "Gunners" can go to the end or not.
