Why Arsene Wenger's Arsenal may not finish in the top four

Struggling: Arsene Wenger's side have fallen short of the mark this season

13 April 2012

Currently lying in fifth position in the Premier League, Arsenal have struggled this season. Overtaken by Aston Villa, and with Everton in hot pursuit, the Gunners' aim of finishing in the top four is under threat. Here we look at why it has gone wrong for Arsene Wenger's side...

10 Captaincy issues

Unlike Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool, Arsenal don't have an effective club captain. After Thierry Henry's departure in 2007 Gilberto Silva was expected to get the nod, but the Brazilian was controversially overlooked and Arsene Wenger instead opted for temperamental Frenchman William Gallas. Unfortunately for Wenger, Gallas showed about as much respect for the role as he did Birmingham City's sponsor boards, and the ensuing 18 months were dominated by hissy fits and petulant spats on and off the field. To make matters worse, when Wenger finally replaced the Frenchman, Cesc Fabregas' career as captain was cruelly cut short through injury. Since then Manuel Almunia and Kolo Toure have struggled to lead the side as strongly as a Gerrard, Terry, Barry or Neville, and Arsenal have lacked leadership when they have needed it most.

9 Problems at the back

To finish in the top four you need to be strong at the back. The Arsenal defence, which was once the stuff of legend, has withered in recent times. Gael Clichy looks half the player he was last year, Kolo Toure's best days are well and truly behind him, while William Gallas is incredibly unpredictable. So far this season, the Gunners have the seventh best defence in the league, conceding 24 goals in 25 games. Even Fulham and Wigan have let in less.

8 Lack of strength

One of Arsenal's biggest failings is their inability to compete with the more physical sides of the Premier League, Stoke being a case in point. The Gunners may play gorgeous football, but put them up against 11 bruisers and they will hit the deck before a ball is even kicked.

7 Injuries

To be fair to Arsene Wenger, this year he has had his fair share of injuries. Rosicky, Walcott and Fabregas have all had long periods off, while Eduardo has been out for a year. Then in an attempt to inject some fresh blood into the side, Arsenal captured Andrey Arshavin from Zenit St Petersberg; unfortunate then that it is the Russian off-season, and the £12 million man is about as fit as Alisher Usmanov.

6 Goalkeeper

Having seen off dodgy Jens Lehmann and cemented his place as Arsene Wenger's first choice, Manuel Almunia has failed to kick on. The Spaniard has had 10 clean sheets this season, which isn't bad, but, like Almunia himself, is not very good. Compared to Cech, Van der Sar, Reina, and Brad Friedel, Almunia looks like a pub footballer who has dyed his hair blond.

5 Can't take the flak

Somewhat refreshingly, Chelsea's poor run of form has prompted the team to face facts. John Terry has admitted that the results are not good enough and has apologised to the fans for the performances. Why can't this happen at the Emirates? When Arsenal lose, Wenger simply blames someone else. Against Tottenham, it was referee Mike Dean's fault for making a "massive wrong decision". Emmanuel Eboue thought he had scored in the 13th minute, although Dean had already blown for a foul on Jonathan Woodgate. Instead of admitting that in the following 77 minutes Arsenal were not good enough to score against a side who were one point above the relegation zone, Wenger instead chose to whine at the officials.

4 No defensive midfielder

Two seasons ago Gilberto Silva and Mathieu Flamini were both competing for the defensive midfielder role. Then in an ill-advised move, Wenger let them both go and hoped that other teams wouldn't notice. They did. Without a defensive midfielder, the Gunners have been caught out time and time again. With no-one to break-up opposing attacks they have looked vulnerable on the break and have crucially lacked a ball-winner in the midfield.

3 Tricky run-in

If Arsenal are to successfully finish in the top four they will need to finish the season strongly. Unfortunately for them their run-in is by no means a walk in the park. Their last six games include Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United, with Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and Stoke all must win games. Aston Villa and Everton both have a series of easier matches.

2 Lack of experience

If you look at the great Invincibles side of the 2003/04 season, Arsenal have always had a wealth of experience and quality throughout the team. Having sold some of their most experienced players in the summer, with the likes of Lehmann, Gilberto, Flamini, and Hleb all moving on, Wenger knew that a campaign with a comparatively young and inexperienced side was always going to be a struggle. But while other young sides like Villa have prospered, the Arsenal boys have not been able to pick themselves up after a bad performance, and the hangover of one match has rolled into the next.

1 Aston Villa

The emergence of Aston Villa as a top four contender has been one of the most exciting aspects of the season. While most of the country has delighted in seeing Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor torment defences, Arsenal fans will have watched in horror as each mesmerising display takes Villa closer to Champions League football. Martin O'Neill's side are currently seven points clear of the Gunners and are the form team in the league, having just set a new club record of seven consecutive away wins. If Arsenal are to catch them they will need to pray for another suspicious case of food poisoning.

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Why Arsene Wenger's Arsenal may not finish in the top four

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