What a difference a year makes. Just 12 months ago, Arsenal were terrorising West Ham as they beat them to go seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Nearly a year to the day since that win, Mikel Arteta’s side endured a completely different night on Thursday as they slipped to a 2-0 defeat and blew the chance to leapfrog League leaders Liverpool to leave them on 10 fewer points than at the same stage last season.
It was a night full of frustration for Arsenal, who had 74 per cent of the possession and 30 shots on goal. They also set a new record by having 77 touches in the opposition box - the most on record in a single Premier League match for a team who failed to score.
Arsenal have had challenging nights like this one before this season and their attack has been questioned on multiple occasions. It has clicked at moments, especially in the Champions League, but it is hard to argue against the forward line lacking the threat it had a year ago.
Arteta believes that is partly down to the way opponents setup against Arsenal and West Ham certainly gave strength to that claim. The Hammers sat deep and made it difficult for Arsenal by doubling up on wingers Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
That has become the blueprint for stopping the Gunners and the onus is on Arteta, and his players, to find a solution.
All of Arsenal’s attackers have struggled at points this season, but the biggest victim of teams changing the way they setup is Martinelli. The Brazilian was a key factor in Arsenal’s fast start last year and by this stage last season he had scored seven League goals.
That number has fallen to two this season and it was another frustrating night for him against West Ham, who he coincidentally excelled against almost a year ago to the day by opening the scoring.
More than any of Arsenal’s forwards, Martinelli relishes space to run into and he has been starved of that.
The Brazilian has not been helped by the fact Arsenal’s whole left side has struggled this season. Oleksandr Zinchenko’s form has dipped and he had another difficult night in this loss to West Ham. Kai Havertz is improving with every game, but it will take time for Martinelli to create the connection he had with Granit Xhaka.
The options for Arteta include taking Martinelli out of the firing line, which worked well last season.
The 22-year-old was benched for a trip to Aston Villa in February and came on to score a vital late goal in a 4-2 win. He went on to score seven goals in his next 11 games after eight matches without one.
Arteta has, so far, stuck by Martinelli and he has backed him to turn things around ahead of Sunday’s trip to Fulham.
The fact that game comes so swiftly after Thursday’s defeat is one of the positives Arsenal can take going forward. They at least have the chance to get back on track right away.
