Arsenal on the brink as Everton win leaves Wenger broken
After yet another humiliation, is it time for Gunners' manager to admit defeat and quit?
Everton 3 Arsenal 0. At the end even the Everton faithful couldn't believe how easy it had been. What was supposed to be a bitter battle for the all-important fourth spot turned into a walk in the Goodison Park for Everton.
Rampant in the first-half, Everton went into the break 2-0 up thanks to goals from Steven Naismith and Romelu Lukaku, and when Mikel Arteta put the ball into his own net on the hour mark it was game over for Arsenal.
It could also mean game over for Arsene Wenger a few weeks from now. There are growing rumours that the Frenchman will only sign a new contract at the Emirates if he believes he is up to the task, and after seeing his side beaten so comprehensively few people would agree that he is.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
When it came to the crunch, against a team with belief, the Gunners were once again shambolic: disinterested, disjointed and dismantled by an Everton side which, in contrast, bristled with determination.
The result means that the Merseyside club now have their fate in their own hands: one point behind fourth-place Arsenal, but with a game in hand, all Everton have to do is win their remaining six matches to finish fourth and qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2005.
Arsenal, on the other hand, face the very real possibility of failing to qualify for Europe's showpiece competition for the first time in 18 seasons. Having said that, the Gunners have the easier run-in, facing no club higher than ninth-placed Newcastle (at home), while Everton must host the two Manchester clubs and travel to Southampton. But with the Toffees now on a six-game winning streak it will take something special to stop their momentum.
As for the Gunners, for the first time this season – a season, remember, that has encompassed humiliating defeats to Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea – Wenger had the air of a broken man at the end of this latest embarrassment. "Everton were better, sharper and deserved to win," admitted the Arsenal manager. "I wouldn't question the spirit of this team but we have lost something on the confidence front. We looked disjointed when we had to run after the score. The other big defeats away from home have taken some of the charisma from this team."
Asked if his squad lacked fight, Wenger's reply was devoid of his usual stubborn defence of his players. "You could say that. It is a massive worry to lose a game like that."
Arsenal now have to hope the pressure gets to Everton in the final weeks of the season, while at the same time dredging their souls in search of some self-belief. "It will be difficult to finish in the top four but first we have to focus on the quality of our performances," conceded Wenger. "We have to analyse it well and come back with a different attitude, with more personality and stronger challenges. We have to go back to basics."
Meanwhile Everton manager Roberto Martinez mixed satisfaction with circumspection. "Yes it was a great win and a great psychological boost, but the nature of this league is to be ready from game to game," he said. "We knew if got three points today then it would leave us with 63 points, but we have still got another 18 points to play for.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Quiz of The Week: 16 - 22 November
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures Firing shells, burning ballots, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published
-
The Great Mughals: a 'treasure trove' of an exhibition
The Week Recommends The V&A's new show is 'spell-binding'
By The Week UK Published
-
English football and the etiquette of leaving the stadium early
Talking Point The belief that 'true fans stay to the end' does not always apply
By The Week UK Published
-
Premier League: Man City vs. Arsenal predictions
feature What the pundits say about tonight’s title race showdown at the Etihad
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Pros and cons of VAR in football
Pros and Cons String of mistakes has put new technology under the microscope
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Can Arsenal really win the Premier League title?
feature How the pundits reacted after the Gunners’ late 3-2 victory over Man Utd
By Mike Starling Published
-
Tottenham vs. Arsenal predictions: race for the Premier League top four
feature Expect a ‘seismic’ north London derby with Champions League qualification on the line
By Mike Starling Published
-
Mesut Ozil’s Arsenal exile: footballing reasons or political?
In Depth German playmaker questions the club’s loyalty after omission from the Premier League squad
By Mike Starling Published
-
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: Arsenal seal their biggest signing in years
In Depth Gunners fans and club legends celebrate the skipper’s new three-year deal
By Mike Starling Published
-
Premier League 2020-21 predictions and odds: champions, top four, relegation
The Week Recommends A look at what the football media has to say ahead of the new season
By Mike Starling Published