Arsenal: 3 biggest surprises from disappointing return to action
by Josh Sippie
Arsenal’s return to action has not gone according to plan. Here are three massive surprises, good and bad, from the club’s return to action.
Arsenal fans were probably devasted more than most by the pause in the Premier League. Mikel Arteta had driven his side back into form, they were performing consistently to rank among the best in the Premier League in the calendar year.
That’s gone really sour, really fast. The Gunners can’t seem to put anything remotely positive together, as they’ve now lost two matches in a row since returning to action, a 3-0 soul-sucker against Manchester City and a 2-1 heart-crusher against Brighton. So we’ve had our souls and hearts sucked and crushed, respectively, since returning to action.
It hasn’t looked good, and a lot of things are standing out above the rest as relatively surprising changes that I don’t think we could have expected to see after the pause. Sure, Arsenal wasn’t perfect before the break, but they were earning results.
Arsenal has given us plenty of surprises despite two losses
Still, it hasn’t been all bad in the surprise category, even though the results have absolutely been bad. It still leaves me scratching my head and cursing our luck in more than a few ways.
So let’s talk about the three biggest surprises from the return to action. We start with No. 3.
3. Injury hell
Arsenal fans are no stranger to injury problems. Years of Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey prepared us for it. But lately, there has been no such thing as excessive injuries in such a wide array of positions. Sure, we had a leftback problem, but did we really? Bukayo Saka filled in.
Nowadays, the Gunners are truly without a clue in the world how to keep up with all the injuries. And not just injuries, but serious injuries.
It took just eight minutes for Granit Xhaka to get hurt. Our rock in the midfield, out for some time. A mere 20 minutes later, Pablo Mari suffered a season-ending injury. About 90 minutes after that, Bernd Leno suffered an injury that looks like it will keep him out for the year too.
The biggest surprise is that these have nothing to do with match fitness. They’re all just freak occurrences. Nothing more. It’s bad luck. And it sucks.
On to No. 2.
Arsenal fans were probably devasted more than most by the pause in the Premier League. <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/06/21/arsenal-3-surprises-return/"https://fbref.com/en/players/d934d1e6/Mikel-Arteta?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mikel Arteta</a> had driven his side back into form, they were performing consistently to rank among the best in the Premier League in the calendar year.</p>
<p>That’s gone really sour, really fast. The Gunners can’t seem to put anything remotely positive together, as they’ve now lost two matches in a row since returning to action, a 3-0 soul-sucker against Manchester City and a 2-1 heart-crusher against Brighton. So we’ve had our souls and hearts sucked and crushed, respectively, since returning to action.</p>
<p>It hasn’t looked good, and a lot of things are standing out above the rest as relatively surprising changes that I don’t think we could have expected to see after the pause. Sure, Arsenal wasn’t perfect before the break, but they were earning results.</p>
<h3>Arsenal has given us plenty of surprises despite two losses</h3>
<p>Still, it hasn’t been all bad in the surprise category, even though the results have absolutely been bad. It still leaves me scratching my head and cursing our luck in more than a few ways.</p>
<p>So let’s talk about the three biggest surprises from the return to action. We start with No. 3.</p>
<h4>3. Injury hell</h4>
<p>Arsenal fans are no stranger to injury problems. Years of <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/06/21/arsenal-3-surprises-return/"https://fbref.com/en/players/9c318325/Jack-Wilshere?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jack Wilshere</a> and <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/06/21/arsenal-3-surprises-return/"https://fbref.com/en/players/ef619b0b/Aaron-Ramsey?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Aaron Ramsey</a> prepared us for it. But lately, there has been no such thing as excessive injuries in such a wide array of positions. Sure, we had a leftback problem, but did we really? <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/06/21/arsenal-3-surprises-return/"https://fbref.com/en/players/bc7dc64d/Bukayo-Saka?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Bukayo Saka</a> filled in.</p>
<p>Nowadays, the Gunners are truly without a clue in the world how to keep up with all the injuries. And not just injuries, but serious injuries.</p>
<p>It took just eight minutes for <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/06/21/arsenal-3-surprises-return/"https://fbref.com/en/players/e61b8aee/Granit-Xhaka?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Granit Xhaka</a> to get hurt. Our rock in the midfield, out for some time. A mere 20 minutes later, <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/06/21/arsenal-3-surprises-return/"https://fbref.com/en/players/aa54ec6f/Pablo-Mari?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Pablo Mari</a> suffered a season-ending injury. About 90 minutes after that, <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/06/21/arsenal-3-surprises-return/"https://fbref.com/en/players/2628fd2b/Bernd-Leno?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Bernd Leno</a> suffered an injury that looks like it will keep him out for the year too.</p>
<p>The biggest surprise is that these have nothing to do with match fitness. They’re all just freak occurrences. Nothing more. It’s bad luck. And it sucks.</p>
<p>On to No. 2.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/06/21/arsenal-3-surprises-return/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 2. Where'd he go? </a>
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<img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-94867" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/06/21/arsenal-3-surprises-return/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1184472424.jpeg" alt="Arsenal, Gabriel Martinelli" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1184472424.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1184472424-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Arsenal, Gabriel Martinelli (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)</p>
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<h4>2. Martinelli absence</h4>
<p>I’ve been wracking my brain at length trying to think of what could be going on with Martinelli and the current Mikel Arteta set-up. 180 minutes down, so much opportunity for youth, particularly with the new five substitution rule.</p>
<p>And it has been ripe with opportunity. Arteta has been running with youth in a big way. Against Manchester City, he started <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/06/21/arsenal-3-surprises-return/"https://fbref.com/en/players/a3b03921/Joe-Willock?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Joe Willock</a>, Bukayo Saka, and <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/06/21/arsenal-3-surprises-return/"https://fbref.com/en/players/a53649b7/Eddie-Nketiah?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Eddie Nketiah</a>. Meanwhile, against Brighton, he started Saka and subbed on <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/06/21/arsenal-3-surprises-return/"https://fbref.com/en/players/c5bdb6e3/Reiss-Nelson?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Reiss Nelson</a>, Nketiah, and Willock.</p>
<p>All the while, Gabriel Martinelli has been seated and completely unused. No report of an injury, no chance of a falling out give his positive demeanor all throughout.</p>
<p>If anything, I would have expected Martinelli to have been the premier focus on the return, at least from a youth standpoint. He’d been battling with Saka all throughout the season for which was the most impressive and thus far, it had been a stalemate.</p>
<p>Saka clearly has the upper hand now, if only because Martinelli is dealing with unseen forces.</p>
<p>Finally, some good news at No. 1.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/06/21/arsenal-3-surprises-return/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 1. Welcome back </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-102260" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/06/21/arsenal-3-surprises-return/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1095,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1221136179.jpeg" alt="Arsenal, Matteo Guendouzi" width="1600" height="1095" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1221136179.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1221136179-768x526.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Arsenal, Matteo Guendouzi (Photo by GARETH FULLER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<h4>1. Guendouzi restored</h4>
<p>I’ve been gushing about <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/06/21/arsenal-3-surprises-return/"https://fbref.com/en/players/5ea8ef20/Matteo-Guendouzi?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Matteo Guendouzi</a> since we return to action, and a big reason why is because he’s doing all the same things he did when he first arrived. He is improving conclusively and quickly. He is showcasing new talents every day. Or, not new talents necessarily, but talents we knew he had and are being reminded of.</p>
<p>None of that is surprising. What’s surprising is how quickly Guendouzi was restored to this opportunity. He was not gelling with Mikel Arteta after being a permanent fixture under Unai Emery and his regime.</p>
<p>It had gotten so bad that many accepted he was on a premature track out of the club. His talent was largely forgotten and he had some off the pitch issues as well that landed him at odds with Arteta.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Arsenal vs Brighton Player Ratings" data-url="https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/06/20/arsenal-vs-brighton-player-ratings-3/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/06/21/arsenal-3-surprises-return/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/06/20/arsenal-vs-brighton-player-ratings-3/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Arsenal vs Brighton Player Ratings </a> </div>
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<p>But that’s all over now, apparently, and if he keeps playing like this, it’s going to take an awful lot for Arteta to commit to benching him again.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
