Arsenal are more mentality muppets than monsters

JURGEN KLOPP described his never-say-die Liverpool team as mentality monsters.

So what are Arsenal under Mikel Arteta?

On the back of this latest title collapse, they are English football’s mentality muppets.

Saturday's abject display at the Emirates was surely confirmation the club’s wait for a title, which now stands at 21 years, will continue.

It is Arsenal’s longest gap for a title post-war and you have to wonder if Arteta is actually capable of getting them over the line.

This was their first Premier League defeat in 16 matches and only the third of the season.

But this was an absolute must-win and Arsenal bottled it just when they needed to show some b******s.

You can see why Arteta was so angry afterwards.

Conspiracy theorists — and there are certainly a few of them about — will complain about Myles Lewis-Skelly’s red card, their fifth of the season, with the team dropping ten points in those games.

Incredibly, this was the 20th sending-off in the top flight under Arteta, so it is absurd to blame the officials for all of them.

Arsenal have had some bad decisions go against them this term and Lewis-Skelly’s foul on Mohammed Kudus was on the halfway line.

But it was still a red card.  Arteta has spent over £600million, so he has been backed heavily by the club.

The decision not to sign a No 9 in the summer — or in January — was obviously ludicrous.

It would have helped. But looking at this current team, you have to wonder whether that will have solved all their problems because there are just so many flaky  players in this squad.

Due to the spectacular fall of Manchester City, this season was a great opportunity for Arteta.

You can see why some of the club’s fans are now having major reservations over their manager.

He will be given even more cash next summer.

But if Arsenal find themselves in a similar situation in 12 months’ time, then the club may consider a change - even though it would break  hearts.

Arteta has been hit badly by injuries this season which is why the team have gone backwards.

And maybe they can still deliver something magical in the Champions League.

Yet Liverpool suffered unbelievably bad luck last term with  injuries and, while they fell away in the league, Klopp’s team somehow managed to win the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea — even though they ended the game with a bunch of teenagers.

Arsenal’s approach to the West Ham game was completely wrong. There was a lack of belief, desire and intensity, as well as quality.

Equally, the visitors defended superbly and new boss Graham Potter seems a perfect fit.

Over the last couple of seasons, the atmosphere at the Emirates has been superb, the best since the move to the stadium in 2006.

Yet there was no buzz before or during this game. And it seemed as though the supporters were resigned to their team’s fate.

Mikel Merino was the two-goal hero against Leicester a week earlier in his first ever-game as a central striker.

You can see why Arteta started him in this position owing to the lack of options but the Spaniard looked lost up front.

The defending for the opening goal from Jarrod Bowen before half-time was embarrassing, with Riccardo Calafiori deciding not to bother to stop a cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Calafiori, a £42m summer buy from Bologna, is still adjusting to the Prem but this display was just not good enough.

Arteta’s decision to relegate Lewis-Skelly to the bench was curious, particularly as he was also substituted at Leicester just minutes after he delivered a stunning goal-saving intervention.

The one positive was the sight of defender Ben White returning to action after three months out.

Now Arteta must lift his team for Wednesday’s tricky trip to Nottingham Forest.

And at the very least, Arsenal’s players need to start showing that they actually care.