Sadio Mane of Southampton celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Southampton and Aston Villa at St Mary's Stadium on May 16, 2015 in Southampton, England.
Image: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images Getty Images
Image: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images
ter the Gunners failed to score for a third successive game at their Emirates Stadium home in a 0-0 draw against Sunderland this week, manager Arsene Wenger conceded that his players had lost the momentum they built up during an eight-game winning run in the Premier League a few weeks ago.
When asked whether his side could rediscover their winning touch ahead of the Wembley date on Saturday with Tim Sherwood's Aston Villa, Wenger said: "It is a little bit of a concern, but we have some time to prepare and to recover."
He went on to suggest the long campaign had taken a toll on some of his players and he hinted he may make changes to his lineup for their final Premier League game against West Bromwich Albion today with an eye on the FA Cup final.
When asked whether his players were jaded, Wenger said: "You could see that some players are [jaded] a bit. We played our 56th game of the season tonight [Wednesday] and some players have given a lot. We still have time to recover for Sunday [today] and prepare well for the FA Cup final. What is important now is that we win on Sunday. We want to finish on a high in front of our own fans."
While some of his players may be tired, Wenger stressed the likes of Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere will be encouraged to join up with the England squad if they are selected after both endured truncated seasons with Arsenal due to injury.
"[Those] players don't need a rest," he said. "Theo has been out for a year, Jack for six months because he played his last game in November. They don't need a rest. They can go with England, it's no problem. Of course I'd welcome it."
Somewhere in north London, Danny Welbeck must be kicking himself. The England international left his beloved Manchester United to try and establish himself as a Premier League centre forward. However, at the precise time Arsenal need him, he finds himself unable to contribute to the cause.
Meanwhile, there is growing concern over the Gunners' first-choice centre forward, Olivier Giroud, who has been largely outstanding this season, but has now gone seven games without scoring. It's not ideal for the team's top striker to be finishing the season on a diminuendo.
It's not that he's suddenly become a bad player. Giroud's role is a physical one; in every game he takes a significant buffeting.
Eventually, that kind of conflict is going to take its toll on the body. As Giroud's stamina has waned, so has his confidence, and he now looks some way short of the player we saw a couple of months ago.
He simply needs a rest.
Aston Villa's Christian Benteke scores their first goal. Image: REUTERS Reuters / Paul ChildsLivepic
However, with Welbeck sidelined, there is no obvious player to come in for him. Walcott has ambitions of playing as a central striker, but Wenger has never considered him a serious option for the role.
At the start of the campaign, Alexis Sánchez was occasionally used through the middle, but he now seems to have settled into a role on the left.
Giroud didn't play particularly poorly against Sunderland, but his struggles are symptomatic of an Arsenal team who have now gone three home games without scoring a goal.
As much as opposition goalkeepers have rightly taken credit for some impressive displays, the real issue has been Arsenal's underwhelming attacking play. Even when the team do create chances, their finishing lacks the requisite conviction.
Giroud is not the only forward looking fatigued. Sanchez's start to the season was characterised by relentless running, but he is now bursting into life with increasing infrequency. Mesut Özil and Santi Cazorla once buzzed with activity at the creative hub of the Arsenal midfield. However, against Sunderland, they barely figured.
With an FA Cup final around the corner, Arsenal fans will be concerned by the lack of fluency in their team. Although a final is a one-off encounter where form can go out of the window, they would presumably feel more secure if they were heading to Wembley with significant momentum rather than stumbling towards the finish line.
Against West Bromwich today, Wenger must find a balance between handing a rest to those who need it and ensuring Arsenal have a team capable of taking them into the final on the back of a positive result.
Giroud could patently do with a rest, but the lack of an obvious alternative may force him into action once again.
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