It’s fair to say Arsenal haven’t quite reached full-throttle yet as they sit 7th in the league on a measly 11 points. Disappointing displays against Leicester, Hull, Tottenham and Anderlecht have been the bane of the Gunner’s season so far with few positives to take. It’s not so bad if you’re Alexis Sanchez however, who deserves to be one of the only players to have his head held high due to his admirable performances. The Chilean workhorse doesn’t stop and has often produced the goods that have dug Arsenal out of a lot of trouble. Danny Welbeck, Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs have all been consistent this year, having fine campaigns for the Gunners. However, some have struggled to adapt to Wenger’s new 4-1-4-1, a system that looks flat, dull and simply an answer to fit all of our midfield options in one side. An incorrect answer at that, as we look at some of the players that haven’t fulfilled the fan’s expectations.
1) Per Mertesacker
Returning from Brazil as a World Champion following Germany’s triumph, the BFG officially announced his international retirement to focus on his performances at Arsenal. What more could us Gooners want? Mertesacker endured a spectacular campaign last season playing some of his finest football alongside Laurent Koscielny. The pair of them together had formed one of the Premier League’s most solid partnerships, and the German only looked like he was improving week-in week-out. He did however, let his performances slip in Brazil then to be dropped, and since his return he has always seemed jaded. He’s a slow player naturally, usually aided by his defensive positioning, but so far this campaign he’s looked so off the pace that he’s one step behind. His ever-changing centre-back partner isn’t helping his cause, and he seemed at fault for both of Hull’s goals last weekend. Arsenal have conceded in 11 games out of a possible 14, indicating our defensive problems further. Appointed as vice-captain at the start of the season, we Arsenal fans can only expect more from our BFG, who needs to improve his performances and step up our defensive displays.