Mikel Arteta has expressed doubt over whether Arsenal have the strength to win “major trophies” after an expensive week that saw them crash out of the FA Cup and hanging by a thread in the Carabao Cup.
Arsenal have not won major silverware since 2020 when Arteta masterminded an unexpected FA Cup triumph, although competitions that have since then been a complete lack of trophies.
The Gunners have struggled to keep pace with Liverpool in the race for the Premier League title defeated on penalties by Manchester United in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday and must cancel a A 2-0 aggregate deficit against Newcastle United to avoid the same fate in the Carabao Cup.
Against Manchester United, Arsenal failed to establish a possession advantage in almost an hour of play after Diogo Dalot was sent off in the second half.
“Obviously [we are] relying on failure like this and waiting for one shot to go towards the goal and score a goal. I don’t want to bet on that. I bet that team would try,” Arteta replied when asked if his team was facing a psychological block.
“Will we win big trophies? I don’t know. But playing like this… there are few teams in the world that can play at that level.”
Arsenal they remain strong in the Champions League after winning four of their opening six games, sitting in the crucial top eight. But Arsenal’s last European game came before the current home run. The last two games of the ‘league phase’ against Dinamo Zagreb, on the 24th, and Girona, on the 30th, are yet to follow until the end of January.
The Gunners, after going through an injury crisis that affected their form earlier in the season, are once again struggling with availability due to Bukaya Saka, Ethan Nwaneri and now Gabriel Jesus aside.
READ THE LATEST ARSENAL NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND GOSSIP
