Arsenal are falling into a cycle, repeating themselves until they are completely disappointed. They sow hope and then extinguish it in the most ironic way. That is what the "Gunners" have shown in the Premier League championship race this season.
The 0-1 defeat to West Ham was a heavy blow to Arsenal's hopes of catching up with leaders Liverpool. However, after failing to score in the 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest at City Ground, the Gunners could forget the title for another year - as they have done every year for the past two decades.
No one can deny that injuries have taken a heavy toll on Arteta's squad. In particular, their attack was severely damaged. Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are both sidelined through next season due to long-term injuries, while Bukayo Saka is unlikely to return before mid-March.
Controlling the ball up to 65% against Nottingham, Arsenal only had 1 shot on target. It was painful for Arteta to see his side struggle to hold on to broken hope.
In the absence of Havertz, Jesus and Saka, Arteta deployed midfielder Mikel Merino to play as a false forward. But Arsenal's tactics are the same: passing the ball continuously and hoping for breakthroughs from set pieces. They have barely had any breakthroughs in their playing style.
Arsenal's passes were ineffective and Nottingham easily countered all 11 corners. So where is the diversity?
Arteta has done an incredible job of reviving Arsenal in his five years in charge. The Gunners were forgotten when Arteta first arrived and now, that continues to happen. The Spaniard needs to find a way to make things go as other top managers do. He needs to be more practical and willing to give up his principles in difficult circumstances.
However, there is no sign of that happening and Arsenal are gradually moving away from the Premier League title race. They could even be dragged into a Champions League ticket battle if they cannot get out of this difficult situation.
With fifth place potential to qualify for next season's Champions League, Arsenal's 10-point gap will be enough to stop Newcastle, who are sixth. But the 13-point gap between the Gunners and leaders Liverpool is what worries them the most.
"There is still a lot to do and a lot to show in the season. The Champions League is a great tournament and we hope to play there. The only thing we can do is win our games and see how many points we get," Arteta said after the draw with Nottingham.
