Arsenal’s chance to stay at the top of the table this weekend was denied as centre back Per Mertesacker was sent off for a tackle on Chelsea’s Diego Costa. Costa would go on to score five minutes later from a cross by Branislav Ivanovic, sparking a 1-0 victory at the Emirates for the Blues.
Arsenal have struggled against Chelsea in recent fixtures, losing to the Blues in September following red cards shown to Gabriel and Santi Cazorla. The match at the weekend was their opportunity to finally get one over their rivals and take advantage of Manchester City’s 2-2 draw at West Ham.
By getting in their own way this weekend, Arsenal now find themselves in third, three points off leaders Leicester City.
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After finishing the first half of the season strongly with a 2-1 win over Manchester City, the Gunners have won just two of their last six matches since Boxing Day claimed only two points from their last three fixtures.
This poor run includes a 4-0 loss at Southampton, a 3-3 draw at Liverpool (where they surrendered a late equaliser), a goalless draw at Stoke City and now a loss at home to Chelsea.
Their two wins in 2016 have come against Bournemouth and Newcastle, begging the question, how can Arsenal turn around their form against the Premier League’s bigger clubs this year?
In order for Arsenal to get back to their consistent best that we saw at the beginning of the season, they need Francis Coquelin back in their line-up, as Arsene Wenger has failed to fill the defensive midfielder role properly since losing the Frenchman to injury.
During this decline in play, Arsenal have allowed their opponents to roam more freely in the centre of the pitch without the watchdog like nature of Coquelin holding down the midfield with his excellent coverage and tackling abilities.
Replacement Mathieu Flamini simply has not been able to have the same impact that Coquelin has had for the Gunners this year. With Coquelin back in the lineup, Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil can focus on their attacking duties rather than have to worry about their coverage in midfield.
There are rumours that Arsenal are keen on signing Borussia Mochengladbach defensive midfielder Granit Xhaka this January. The Switzerland international has gone on record saying it has been a dream of his to play in the Premier League, and looking at Arsenal’s current needs, it looks like that dream could become reality in the near future if Coquelin can’t make a return before the transfer window closes.
Until Arsenal address their problems in the midfield, or until Coquelin returns to their starting XI, it will be tough for the Gunners to successfully claim their first title in 12 years.
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