3 Things We Learnt From The Loss To Brentford

 When it comes to losing Football matches, the loss to Brentford was particularly painful, the signal that any ambition that Arsenal fans had for this season has been crushed completely. After all, with matches against massive teams to follow, the possibility remains that Arsenal could have zero points after 3 games...consigning Arsenal to the permanent dorms of mediocrity for not just this year, but for the future too. Any hope that Arteta would begin a new era for the Gunners appears gone after just one game.

When the President of Rwanda condemns the mediocrity of the club, despite being a lifelong fan, then you know that things need to change. So, with that in mind, here are 3 things we learnt from the loss to Brentford.

Brentford Must Secure One Area For Premier League Survival

Whilst one game for Arsenal could potentially signal a season long trend, Brentford have a different reality.

We saw with Norwich a year or so ago that Championship teams can enter the Premier League full of confidence, and Brentford were no exception. Their pressing game and confidence simply overwhelmed the Gunners. Herein lies the problem.

Norwich and others similarly started their Premier League campaigns, only to fade away after soul sucking defeats later on. Once the confidence was gone, so was their survival.

Don't get me wrong, the win over Arsenal was amazing. However, for Brentford to ensure Premier League survival, they will need to show that that spirit can continue after potential losses to City, United, Liverpool, or Chelsea. Only if that confidence can be maintained after such losses, will Brentford become a regular Premier League member.

Arsenal's Problems Are More Than Just Squad Depth

Arteta promised an unprecedented transfer window. At this point, it seems to be just talk, no action. Hopefully that will change. But, it is not the main issue.

Arsenal's squad is not that bad. It is full of internationals, promising young ones, and so forth. However, the squad has not performed, why?

The focus on recruiting has been to bring in ageing stars on massive contracts. However, this has massively backfired. Aubameyang has stopped being a goal scorer, Willian has been woefully inadequate, and others such as Ozil had to be paid off just to leave.

There is a culture of failure now at Arsenal and the recruitment has initiated a problem that will be almost impossible to solve.

Arteta Will Likely Have A Painful Career Reassignment

Unfortunately, despite serving his apprenticeship under Guardiola, Arteta has shown that experience is not something that can be ignored. 

Working alongside Pep allowed Mikel to augment the coaching at City..not replace it, or provide a superior model. Arteta has shown a loyalty to his players that has not been reciprocated. They simply are not putting in the 'big ones'. Could it be that seasoned internationals won't respect someone who basically has zero managerial experience? That is a possibility.

Arteta has a shrewd knowledge of tactics, a vital resource for success, however there is a more important ingredient that he lacks. What is it?

PASSION. Arteta has failed to get the players to play with their hearts on their sleeves. If you take the win by Brentford, you saw an average team playing with just about everything they have, leaving nothing on the pitch. This was not the case with Arsenal. They had little to show in terms of commitment, with the exception of Tierney, Saka, and ESR. Time and again, Arteta talks about 'getting the best out of the players we have', and has consistently failed to do this.

Love him or loathe him, Wenger used to believe that players already should have tactical acumen at this level, and Arteta should know this. If Arteta is to survive, and it is looking increasingly unlikely, he should unleash the talent of the players, making them play with 'heart', instead of adjusting each and every movement they make on the pitch.

If you still doubt this, cast your mind back to Arsenal games under Wenger. He rarely got up and directed the traffic. He, at times, seemed ambivalent, whereas in reality he wasn't. Arteta is the polar opposite, and it isn't working.

Unless fortunes change, Arsenal cannot allow themselves to become permanently mediocre. If this means that a career change beckons for Mikel, it might be an unfortunate end point.