Arteta needs time and Arsenal must stick with him

Arsenal has been in a lackluster form of late, but that does not undermine what Mikel Arteta has achieved since taking over. The pressure is definitely on Arteta after three defeats in the last five league games.

Having already won the FA Cup and the Community Sheild earlier this year, fans certainly hoped that Arsenal would start the season well. Arteta received praised at the end of last season for inspiring victories over Manchester City and Chelsea, which were followed by a Community Shield win over Liverpool.

While many of their star players have failed to live up to their billing with eight games played, Arteta appears to need more time at the club to get the team going. It should be noted that despite sitting eleventh in the league table with the same number of wins as defeats, Arsenal are still unbeaten in the Europa League.

Following the recent debacle against Villa, fans have been calling for Mikel Arteta's head and many already want him out of the club. In all fairness, it is nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction to the Villa result. While fans have every right to be upset, calling for Mikel Arteta's sacking is just misplaced anger.

It is time to analyze if the manager was really at fault for any of these bad defeats. The team's 1-0 defeat to Manchester City does not reflect Arsenal's performance on the day.

Arsenal could have easily snatched a deserving draw if Alexandre Lacazette had converted an opportunity in the second half. It was more of the same in their 1-0 loss to Leicester City as Lacazette missed a golden chance to put Arsenal ahead after some incredible play from Kieran Tierney.

The game against Aston Villa was no different. While opinions may vary about the manager's choice of tactics and formation, it is worth noting that Villa have exceeded expectations this year.

It was a match where Lacazette, once again, had a glorious chance after Kieran Tierney’s delightful cross. However, the Frenchman’s header did not even hit the target as it flew over the crossbar. Had Lacazette found the target in all of those games, the team would have picked up more points.

While the latest team selection may have raised some eyebrows, Arteta is a quick learner.

Nicolas Pepe has been in good enough form to warrant a starting berth in the Premier League side after commanding displays in the Europa League. However, Arteta prefers Willian instead, who has been below par. The same holds for youngsters like Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson, who have impressed in Europe.

The current international break could be a blessing in disguise for Arsenal. Arteta needed a time-out to refine his tactics and come back stronger.

The season has just started and Arsenal must have patience with Arteta. A look at current champions should justify why Arteta needs more time. For four years, Liverpool backed Klopp despite him not winning a single piece of silverware.

Arteta has been in charge of 42 games for Arsenal, winning 26 of them. Arsenal have averaged two points per game. More importantly, the Spaniard hasn't had a full season in charge at the club. The passionate Gunners fanbase must stick with the young manager so that he can finally lift the club to where it belongs.