Arsenal can’t win anything with kids – it’s time Mikel Arteta’s established stars stepped up too

Arteta’s biggest challenge as he tries to make some kind of sense out of the chaos he inherited is not blooding youth but finding a way to win with a disengaged and lopsided squad

Martinelli scored the opener for Arsenal (Reuters)

It’s been tough going at Arsenal with new manager Mikel Arteta trying to make some kind of sense out of the chaos he inherited. Expectations in north London have been redefined since the days of Arsene Wenger’s 19 seasons of consecutive Champions League qualification.

On Saturday they were outplayed for long periods in the 1-1 draw with Sheffield United at the Emirates. Chris Wilder thought his team were lucky to come away with a point. The United manager was disappointed with the way his side squandered possession so often. He was being a little harsh. Arsenal were unconvincing even against the sub-par Blades.

If Wilder accentuated the negatives, there were some causes for optimism for Arteta. Paramount among them was the performance of Gabriel Martinelli. The 18-year-old scored his team’s goal on the stroke of half-time, latching on to Bukayo Saka’s cross with a poacher’s panache. The Brazilian’s intelligent running and movement were impressive throughout.

Saka was not far behind in terms of impact. Operating at left back, the youngster did so well that Arteta was forced to field questions afterwards about whether the pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain’s Layvin Kurzawa should be put on hold because Saka looked like he could solve the team’s problem in the position, despite playing as an attacker at under-23 level.

Trusting in youth is one of the themes of the season. Chelsea, who Arsenal play on Tuesday night, set the tone. Frank Lampard’s success with graduates of the club’s academy was one of the refreshing stories of the first half of the campaign. Lampard’s hand was forced by a transfer ban. Arsenal create their own problems.

The perils of rushing youngsters into the team – especially outside their natural position – was illustrated on Saturday by Ainsley Maitland-Niles. The 22-year-old has plenty of ability but is naturally a midfielder – a point Arteta made after the game. He struggled as a right back against United, starting the game by passing straight to Enda Stevens, who was able to cross and create a chance that Lys Mousset wasted by heading over the bar. The unfortunate Maitland-Niles found himself overrun during that early blitz and his positioning for Billy Fleck’s 83rd minute equaliser was questionable. It would be a shame if Maitland-Niles – or, indeed, Saka – ended up as a full back by default. To judge either of them on their display against United would be an error.

While the youngsters were a mixed bag, the senior players, the men who should be anchoring Arsenal, were uniformly disappointing. Mesut Ozil, whose status and £350,000 per week paycheque suggest he should be a club icon, was largely anonymous. Wilder changed United’s system three times but the back line remained packed and disciplined despite the tactical tweaks. Ozil has the range of passing and vision to unpick the tightest of defences but the German rarely got on the ball to look up and assess his options. Instead, he tried a couple of dummies and an extravagant flick. He did play a role in the goal – Arsenal’s best move of the match – but his impact was limited.

Alexandre Lacazette offered little up front. The Frenchman has not scored in six games and is shorn of confidence. Nicolas Pepe showed flashes but the winger’s most impressive moments came when United were becoming desperate and overcommitting men forward in the second half. Pepe was a real danger on the break and appeared to have won a penalty but neither the referee nor VAR deemed the challenge on the Ivorian a foul.

And there is Arsenal’s problem in a nutshell. They were at their most effective on the counter-attack. United defined the tempo. The home side saw more of the ball but it was pointless possession. Lucas Torreira and Granit Xhaka will never be a top-four midfield pairing and they let United dictate the pace. Arsenal were there for the taking but Wilder’s team lacked a cutting edge.

The visit to Stamford Bridge is critical for Arsenal. Any lingering hopes of Champions League qualification will be extinguished if they lose. Lampard’s side have run out of steam recently – losing two and drawing one of their last five league games. If money is available, the Chelsea manager will dip into the market as soon as he can.

The youth template doesn’t feel like one to follow for a club like Arsenal, at least not right now. Rather than an outwardly positive thing, throwing youngsters into the first team is more of an admission of failure that those they are replacing can’t cut it. The roar of approval from the crowd when Eddie Nketiah was introduced for Lacazette was impressive, but bringing on a 20-year-old when the team is holding on to a one-goal lead with 16 minutes left should have set the alarm bells going. Senior players should be carrying the burden rather than passing the buck.

Arteta’s biggest challenge is not blooding youth but finding a way to win with a disengaged and lopsided squad. The kids are not the problem. It’s the veteran players who need to grow up. Fast.