Why all the doom and gloom at Arsenal?

How much of a bearing will the next two games have on Arsenal’s season?

The mood around Arsenal seems to have switched from very positive to very gloomy in the space of less than a week.

The Gunners headed to face fourth placed Liverpool on Saturday in pretty positive mood and in truth the game could have gone either way.

However, what followed was an extraordinary opening 20 minutes of football that saw Liverpool fire home four goals, effectively killing off the game as a contest.

The Gunners improved slightly in the second half, as the Reds took their foot off the pedal, but Arsene Wenger’s side still headed home with a 5-1 drubbing.

Anti-climax

Then on Wednesday night the Gunners hosted reigning champions Manchester United, in another game that could have gone either way. In the end the game was a slight anti-climax and finished in a goalless draw, with former-Arsenal striker Robin van Persie having arguably the best opportunities of the game for United.

Gunners boss Wenger admitted afterwards that his team were nervous, which possibly was a strange thing to say about a team that is looking to challenge for honours this season. In truth neither side wanted to lose the game.

Change

The results could have gone far worse for the Gunners midweek. Chelsea could only draw at struggling West Brom on Tuesday night and Manchester City’s game against Sunderland on Wednesday night was called off due to high winds in the North West.

Despite the other results seemingly going the Gunners way, the mood around the team seems to have changed. All of a sudden the Gunners fans do not seem so confident in their player’s or manager’s ability to win silverware this season.

Just a few months ago Arsenal were well clear at the top of the Premier League table, but now they find themselves one point behind league leaders Chelsea. This weekend sees a break from the trials and tribulations of the league and instead the Gunners face Liverpool in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Redemption

Sunday’s game at the Emirates Stadium is a chance for Arsenal to gain some redemption for that terrible display on Merseyside. That defeat was the Gunners second heavy defeat of the season, but it seems to be the defeat that has affected their confidence the most.

Injuries

Injuries have played a key part in Arsenal’s recent drop in standards. The relatively long-term injury to Welsh international midfielder Aaron Ramsey has had a major impact on the team’s recent performances.

The young Wales captain was outstanding in the first half of the season, even overshadowing more illustrious teammate Mesut Ozil at times in the Gunners engine room. Ramsey’s form this season was one of the main reasons that Arsenal built up such a big lead at the top of the league.

The other injury that has not helped the Gunners form is England winger Theo Walcott. The former-Southampton star may not be the most consistent player in the world, but he offers something that Arsenal can lack at times, pace.

Walcott was just coming into some form prior to picking up the cruciate ligament injury that will keep him out for the rest of the campaign.

There are no guarantees that Arsenal would have maintained their lead with the pair fully-fit, but Arsene Wenger would certainly have had more attacking options available to him.

Tired

It is fair to say that club-record signing German international Mesut Ozil has been disappointing in recent games. The playmaker has created just one goal in his last eight Arsenal appearances and is clearly looking tired.

Ozil is not the only Gunners player looking tired though. French striker Olivier Giroud has played almost every game this season for Wenger’s men and now looks to be paying the price. Maybe a new striker would have been a smart investment in January Mr Wenger?

The Arsenal boss ignored Arsenal’s shortcomings in attack and decided to only buy an injured aging central midfielder in January, a move that is looking increasingly unwise.

Crucial

Having come off the back of two crucial games, the Gunners now face two more. First they host Liverpool in the FA Cup fifth round and then face a difficult home game against European champions Bayern Munich in the Champions League last 16.

These two games could very well determine how the rest of the season will turn out for the men from north London. The Arsenal players have to find some inner-strength from somewhere, and quick. Otherwise that eight years stretch without a trophy could very easily become nine.

How big a bearing will the next two games have on Arsenal’s season?