Arsenal 2017-2018: The good, the bad and the ugly

MADRID, SPAIN - MAY 03: Danny Welbeck of Arsenal and Henrikh Mkhitaryan of Arsenal look dejceted during the UEFA Europa League Semi Final second leg match between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal FC at Estadio Wanda Metropolitano on May 3, 2018 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN - MAY 03: Danny Welbeck of Arsenal and Henrikh Mkhitaryan of Arsenal look dejceted during the UEFA Europa League Semi Final second leg match between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal FC at Estadio Wanda Metropolitano on May 3, 2018 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
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NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND – JANUARY 07: Kieran Dowell of Nottingham Forest celebrates scoring his team’s fourth goal from the penalty spot as Per Mertesacker of Arsenal suggests he kicked the ball twice taking the penalty during The Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal at City Ground on January 7, 2018 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND – JANUARY 07: Kieran Dowell of Nottingham Forest celebrates scoring his team’s fourth goal from the penalty spot as Per Mertesacker of Arsenal suggests he kicked the ball twice taking the penalty during The Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal at City Ground on January 7, 2018 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Arsenal were humiliated in defense of their FA Cup trophy

There were many ugly defeats for Arsenal this season. The one that best represents how bad it got was the team’s 4-2 loss to Nottingham Forest in January.

The Gunners’ came in to the match as the current holders of the FA Cup. In fact, they had won the trophy three times over the past four seasons. There would be no defense of the cup after this pathetic Arsenal display.

Wenger fielded a weaker side, but compared to their opponents the Arsenal players collectively had much more experience than those for Forest. The manager put a lot of faith in his second string players and they certainly let him down. As expected Arsenal dominated possession but it was Forest that made their chances count.

It was Arsenal’s first FA Cup third-round defeat since January 1996 before Wenger was manager.