Arsenal legend Ian Wright has insisted that his former side still have more they need to learn in the aftermath of their Champions League elimination.
The Gunners were dumped out of the competition by German giants Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, a damaging defeat that came just days after their Premier League title hopes were rocked by a 2-0 home loss at the hands of Aston Villa. The back-to-back defeats have sparked debate over whether Arsenal’s season is indeed over or at the very least in freefall.
Some stern tests await Mikel Arteta’s side in the coming weeks as they look to spring a surprise and win a first league title since 2004. Before the campaign’s conclusion, Arsenal still have to make the trip to both local rivals Tottenham and old enemies Manchester United.
Two weeks ago, confidence was sky high around the Emirates but two losses on the bounce may have dented morale. Gunners icon Wright has also flagged fatigue as a potential issue, singling out Ben White’s part to play in the Bayern goal on Wednesday as an example.
Speaking on the Wrighty’s House podcast, the former Arsenal striker explained: “I know he must be absolutely knackered, gone.
“For him to be going across to close down a guy with that much time, just in and around the box to cross it into a very dangerous area, where another load of our players were on their heels, it’s what we’ve got to learn.
“That’s why I will have patience with this team because they still have to learn those things. Then you do need, I don’t care what anyone says, someone with X-factor, someone with a Kevin De Bruyne vibe, they make something happen.”
Wright’s assessment that Arsenal have more to learn was similar to a sentiment shared by Arteta himself after the defeat in Munich. The Gunners boss admitted there is still plenty of inexperience within his ranks that can only be resolved with time.
“We haven’t played in the competition for seven years; we haven’t been in this position for 14 years,” he told reporters. “There’s a reason for it, and we want to do everything.
“Fast forward, super quick in one season and after we had the capacity and the quality to be in the semi-final, because the margins have been very small. But those margins sometimes are coming from something else, that maybe we don’t have yet.
“We have to learn it, when you look historically, all the clubs to get to certain stages, it took them seven, eight, some of them 10 years to do it. Today that is not going to make us feel better, that’s for sure.”
