Can Arsenal finally find some consistency?

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will be looking for his team to start to string together a consistent run of form

Arsenal have enjoyed an inconsistent start to the season. The Gunners have suffered just one Premier League defeat, which came at league leaders Chelsea.

However, it seems that Arsene Wenger’s side just cannot seem to find a consistency in their performances.

The side from north London face a tough trip to Wales on Sunday to face Swansea looking for a third consecutive Premier League victory.

Incredible

The Gunners head to the Liberty Stadium after surrendering a three goal lead at home to Anderlecht in the Champions League on Tuesday night to draw 3-3, which was quite incredible.

The Gunners seemed to be coasting when midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored a third goal just before the hour mark.

What followed was quite unbelievable, as the Arsenal defence did their best impressive of a sieve. The game just illustrated Arsenal’s defensive vulnerabilities perfectly. The fact that Spanish full-back Nacho Monreal was filling in at centre-back in the absence of Laurent Koscielny is the bone of contention for a lot of Arsenal fans.

A lot have been asking why Arsene Wenger did not see the need for centre-back cover in the summer, despite the fact that the Gunners ended the summer transfer window with just two recognised centre-backs in Per Mertesacker and the currently injured French international Laurent Koscielny.

In truth Monreal has produced some decent performances in Koscielny’s absence, but the Spaniard endured a bit of a torrid time against Anderlecht in the last half hour of the game. The Gunners defensive uncertainty has not helped them string together a run of consistent results.

Draws

The men from north London have drawn five out of their 11 Premier League games this season, which has lead the Gunners to be 12 points behind current league leaders Chelsea.

Had they turned some of those draws into wins then the Gunners could be right up there competing with the Blues for the title. However, on a current form you just do not know if Arsenal will turn up or not.

Star

There’s only one player in the Arsenal team who could currently claim that he is producing consistent performances at the moment. That player is Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez, who has scored braces in consecutive top-flight appearances.

Sanchez also had a big hand in Arsenal’s goals against Anderlecht in the Champions League in midweek. The former-Barcelona star has been outstanding in recent weeks for the Gunners and without him his team would have been in major trouble.

He has provided the Gunners with creativity, when those around him have struggled to create much. The £30million signing is proving to be a very important signing for the men from north London.

Draught

Arsenal’s England striker Danny Welbeck is currently undergoing something of a goal draught at the moment. He arrived at the Emirates Stadium as a striker who was inconsistent in front of goal.

The 23-year-old has scored just twice in nine Premier League appearances since his summer arrival from Manchester United, despite scoring a hat-trick against Galatasaray in the Champions League.

Welbeck needs to improve his performances and goal output if he is to be successful in north London. Some more goals from the former-United striker would help the Gunners no end, with Sanchez seemingly dragging his team through the last few games.

Test

The Gunners trip to Wales on Sunday could be a testing one for Arsene Wenger’s side. Swansea have suffered just one home defeat this season, which came against high-flying Southampton. They are also a side that do not concede many goals, as last weekend’s goalless draw at Everton proved.

It will not be easy for the Gunners to claim that third consecutive league win, but they will need to start to find some consistency in their performances if they are to enjoy a successful campaign this season.

With Chelsea looking good at the top of the Premier League table it will be difficult for any team to catch them. However, with such inconsistency amongst their rivals Arsenal have a chance to finish in a better position than their customary fourth position, but only if they find some consistency.

Can Arsenal finally find some consistency?