Sometimes the team appeared listless, sometimes they were just not good enough, sometimes they made mistakes, and sometimes they were just unlucky.
Whatever the reasons, they added up to a season without a trophy (not counting the Community Shield), a season most fans, including myself, believe they should’ve won the Premier League.
1. Away at Manchester United. 2-3
Arguably the most frustrating game of the season. United were battered and key players were injured, Louis van Gaal was in the midst of a tempest of controversy, made it appear that United were ripe for the plucking.
Instead we delivered a lifeless anemic performance. We hardly put their goal under pressure, although whenever we did, we scored. The players played without motivation or passion.
This game more than any other crystallized the anti-Wenger forces and led to visible hostility amongst Arsenal fans. The anger fans felt was pure and the frustration was open for all to see.
2. Home against Olympiakos. 2-3
One of our worst ever Champions League debacles and we’ve had a number of them. We allowed Olympiakos to believe they would make the second round, that they were an elite team.
David Ospina bears much of the blame. One of the great goalkeeping howlers put Olympiakos into the driving seat, a corner that must’ve given him nightmares for the following three months.
But he alone was not to blame. Arsenal managed to pull even to 2-2 and then were sucker-punched a minute later. Ugly.
3. Home against Swansea. 1-2
This was the game that really ended our chances of winning the Premier League. It was also a game we had taken an early lead and looked set to win.
Then Swansea equalized before halftime. From that point on we looked nervous and we lacked a cutting edge up front. Enter Gylfi Sigurdsson, whose free kick bounced off Ashley Williams and in.
What was most concerning was the fact that we never really looked like a team willing to fight for a result. And we didn’t fight and we lost.
4. Home against Barcelona. 0-2
We actually played quite well in this game, but we made critical defensive errors and they punished us. We started to believe we could win and committed too many men forward.
On their go-ahead goal we made mistakes and could’ve committed “professional” fouls, but didn’t. Messi would punish us for this lapse in judgement.
Why Flamini came on is a mystery and he promptly tripped up Messi in the penalty area and was penalized. Messi converted and all of our efforts were wasted.
5. FA Cup loss at home to Watford. 1-2
Our best hope of a trophy ended when we lost at home to Watford. Arsenal’s defence was sadly lacking, Gabriel turned rather easily by Ighalo, who scored the opening goal.
To be fair, Watford’s second goal was a wonder strike that might never be repeated again, but that happens a lot to Arsenal.
The team only really came alive at the end. Welbeck scored and then he should’ve equalized, but missed an open goal. Too little, too late.
6. Away loss to Chelsea. 0-2
This notorious loss came at a time Arsenal were starting to play quite well, but had just stubbed their toes against Dinamo Zagreb.
The main culprit in this match was Diego Costa, with an assist to referee Mike Dean. Costa was aggressive and threw himself about with no sanction from the referee. When he finally went too far in his manhandling of Laurent Koscielny, Gabriel Paulista took exception.
Gabriel intervened where he had no business to and earned a yellow card. Moments later Costa provoked him and Mike Dean, unsighted, pulled another yellow and sent him off.
That Costa was suspended, Gabriel exonerated, and Dean sanctioned for a week was little consolation. Chelsea would exploit their advantage and we lost the chance to take three points.
7. Away loss to W.B.A. 1-2
A match that became the template for a number of poor Arsenal showings this last season. An early Arsenal goal from Giroud put the Gunners on the front foot.
Arsenal’s problem was the inability to stretch leads and to seal victories. Instead, Albion were able to equalize and then took the lead just before halftime when McLean beat Bellerin, crossed the ball and Arteta bundled it in by accident.
Arsenal were unable to score in the second half. Their best chance came when they were awarded a penalty near the end, only to see Santi Cazorla slip as he was taking the kick. A twist of bad luck that rubbed salt into the wound.
8. Away loss to Bayern Munich. 1-5
A humiliating hiding from the Bavarian powerhouse put the team’s potential into perspective. We were just not good enough to compete with Europe’s elite this past season.
We had beaten Bayern in London, but this performance was not good enough, especially when you consider that a draw would have been welcome.
Teams come to the Emirates every week and defensively stymie the Gunners. Could we expect our team to do that to Bayern? No. We were clobbered and our defensive failings were there for all to see.
9. Home loss to West Ham on opening day. 0-2
Right from the start of the season came the first warning of impending disaster. West Ham clobbered the Gunners and put the team under immediate pressure.
New signing Petr Cech, was partially to blame for both goals. Immediately the press openly questioned the purchase of Cech and asked if he was over the hill. Happily he responded.
The rest of the team was toothless on this afternoon and failed to generate significant chances to score. This would be a hallmark of the team this season.
10. Away loss to Sheffield Wednesday. 0-3
There were other candidates for this last spot (the loss away to Dinamo, the home loss to Chelsea, and the away loss to Barcelona), but this loss hurt the most because of the players injured and the nature of the opposition.
Fans expected a better effort against Wednesday. Instead the team delivered a stinker. Most galling was the poor form from international players like Debuchy, who looked disinterested.
The worst aspect of this loss came from the injuries. Arsenal lost Theo Walcott, who had been playing quite well, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who finally looked set to enter the starting lineup for awhile, following Aaron Ramsey’s injury just a game earlier. The Ox instead got injured, Joel Campbell would grasp the opportunity, and when the Ox finally returned he had to sit on the bench behind Campbell.