Are Arsenal in Emergency Mode, or Merely in Crisis?

Published: Oct. 29, 2019, 4:15 a.m.

Episode 9 of the Saved by the Bellerin podcast looks at the eroding mental state and performance level of the club since the international break.  The team resumed its on-again, off-again, awful-on-the-road, decent-at-home yo yo, scoring only one point from a possible six in the two Premier League contests since the break ended.  The slide has seen Arsenal drop rapidly from 3rd to 5th in the table.  Just as alarming, it seems powerless at the moment to retain pace with the streaking Leicester City and Chelsea squads, who have leapfrogged the Gunners into the last two top four slots.  Dean, Sammy, Ryan, and Rafael look at the continued lack of direction and leadership from Unai Emery, whose managerial stint may have reached a crisis point in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace. Captain Granit Xhaka gestured rudely to the crowd which jeered him as he was subbed out midway through the second half, and the captain tossed his armband and shirt to the turf in disgust as he stormed into the locker room.  The lads take a renewed look at Emery's leadership and wonder what consequence Xhaka should suffer.  They also look at the manager's odd handling of Mesut Ozil, whom the manager has frozen out of the lineup since a first month road contest at Watford, and wonder if the two incidents reflect a bigger malaise in the team's dressing room?  They also wonder if the team may have hit a trip wire with the manager and question how long Arsenal can wait for a turnout if the club is serious about a top four finish this season.  It's a sober pod but it's an important one.