Arsenal should be embarassed about that performance last night. It is not the show that the fans deserve. The fans always show up and sing their hearts out but are left unsatisfied. The story is always the same; Arsenal do not show up against big teams on the road. The tactics don't change, they're exposed on counters, and in the case against BVB it looks as though the players don't belong on the same pitch.
Things need to change. Fans need to question where Arsene Wenger's head is at as he continues to stroll out our new captain on the pitch. Arteta does not belong on the pitch in big games. He's not quick enough, strong enough, decisive enough to play in any position against top competition. Wenger decided to roll the dice again by not signing a big, strong, athletic defensive midfielder and it's already hurting the team. It showed against Manchester City, and it showed even more so against Borussia Dortmund. Wenger has had nine years, 18 transfer windows, to replace Vieira and he hasn't come close.
Stick Ozil in the middle. He's the club's record transfer for a reason and is being wasted out wide. He came with high expectations and is failing to deliever - not because of his talent, but because of his role in the team. Wenger needs to abandon this 4-1-4-1 formation and many Gooner's recommendation is to switch to a more fluent 4-3-3. Keep Wilshere and Ramsey sitting behind Ozil, who just sits behind Welbeck. Sanchez to run up and down the right and the Ox on the left. The Gunners need to use their pace and have Ozil pick those players out with the passes he's capable of making. Ozil isn't a player who's going to run down the sideline at defenders and cross the ball in. He needs to be in the middle of the pitch, pick his head up, and in the matter of seconds deliver a perfect pass to one of the three speed demons running in.
The team needs defensive help. Per and Koscielny have a great partnership and do well in the Premier League. When the North London outfit play any team with pace though, Per is out of his element. As soon as Aubameyang was on the teamsheet for the visitors every Arsenal fan should have known that they were going to have trouble. Koscielny just might be the best defensive half in the premiership, but the lack of speed from Per puts the whole defense in jeopordy. At times it looked liked Koscielny was the only person playing defense. Joachim Low realized this during the World Cup. Wenger, unfortunately, has not.
This isn't a rant because Arsenal lost one game on the road against a top team. It's the continual pounding they take against big teams and our lack of presence on the pitch at all that shows the world the side aren't ready for top competition. The fans deserve better.