Arsenal and Arteta owe fans performance of their lives in PSG - and we need to back them with full support 

Ian Mills analyses Arsenal's defeat to Bournemouth and looks ahead to crunch PSG clash 

Another dreadful Premier League display sees pressure mount ahead of a defining week for Arteta’s Arsenal.

Here are three things that stood out for me, writes Ian Mills. 

1 - Emirates no longer a fortress

– since the turn of the year we have kept just one clean sheet from nine Premier League matches – we have only kept five clean sheets at home in the league all season.

This game saw Bournemouth score with their only two attempts on target – both from set pieces. 38.7% of the total Premier League goals we have conceded this season have come from set pieces – the highest in the league.

Our home record versus Bournemouth prior to this game was seven wins from seven scoring 20 and conceding just four. 

In 17 of our 35 games we have scored either zero or one goal so when you cannot keep clean sheets you are always going to need to score at least twice on every game.

This home defeat followed hot on the heels of PSG’s victory the previous Tuesday, add to those home defeats to West Ham in the league, exiting both domestic cup competitions plus six draws and it seems the fear factor has somewhat disappeared.

If we are to mount a serious title challenge next season, we have to considerably improve our home form.

2 - Arteta’s in game management still weak

– one of the lingering questions marks hanging over our Spanish Manager is his use of substitutes.

I think it has been a weakness of his and remains so. Against PSG he brought on Ethan Nwaneri with five minutes remaining to replace Martin Odegaard as our captain endured another difficult evening.

In this game, he took off our best player on the pitch in Declan Rice just as we were facing up to a set piece and within seconds we had conceded. Our defending for the winning goal was equally abysmal with Odegaard left to mark Evanilson at the back post.

Quite how VAR reviewed this goal and still allowed it to stand when it clearly came off the Brazilians’ elbow is beyond me however our own inept display did not deserve a win.

Into the last five minutes of normal time (and with six minutes of injury time to come) he also threw on Ethan Nwaneri, Alex Zinchenko and Raheem Sterling and we created absolutely nothing.

3 - Declan Rice the only positive

– with Thomas Partey restored as our defensive midfielder, Rice was able to move to No8 and could have scored a couple of times before his assured finish broke the deadlock.

Mikel Merino will start in attack with Leandro Trossard making way. There were several underwhelming performances with David Raya again careless with his passing, Odegaard (save for the clever ball to set up Rice’s goal) again struggling for form, Bukayo Saka had his quietest game for as long as I can remember whilst Gabi Martinelli and Trossard both flattered to deceive in attack.

This was the worse possible preparation for our biggest game of the season.

Our manager and our team owe us the performance of their careers on Wednesday, and they need our full support to achieve this.