The game has well and truly passed Arteta by
Club captain Arteta was given his first start since November 2014 after being plagued with injuries for a large portion of last year. The Spaniard looked slow and lethargic, failing to win a single tackle playing in a holding-midfield role, and was largely anonymous throughout the 90 minutes.
There were calls to sign a new defensive midfielder to provide sufficient cover and competition for the emerging Francis Coquelin, as the thought of Arteta or Mathieu Flamini filling the void did not sit overly well among Arsenal supporters.
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Instead, Arteta was given a new one year contract, as Wenger put his faith in the 33-year-old to prove his worth. While his experience and leadership is certainly welcomed within the squad, the frenetic nature of the Premier League to go with his poor defensive qualities meant there was going to be serious conjecture about his output on the pitch.
Arsenal are one Coquelin injury away from another midfield crisis, and you cannot say there were not holding midfielders available who are considerably better then the ageing Arteta. On last night’s evidence, it clear that not upgrading was a big mistake, and one that could come back to bite the Gunners further down the track.
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