Five questions for Mikel Arteta: Arsenal manager must learn to create value rather than crater it

The St Stephen's Day win over Chelsea arrested Arsenal's alarming slump under Mikel Arteta. Sustaining that momentum against Brighton today will be important, but regardless Arteta faces a host of January transfer window posers. Tim Stillman addresses some burning issues.

NO NONSENSE: There is a suggestion that Mikel Arteta is using sledgehammers to crack walnuts too often in his dealings with players. Picture: Peter Cziborra/PA Wire

Arteta jettisoned Mesut Ozil, who has been nibbling away in the background. Has the decision backfired and should Arteta reach out to the German playmaker or is it key now he sticks to his guns?

At this stage, Arsenal should look to the future rather than the past. Özil has only a few months left on his contract now in any case and having taken such a hard line with him, it is difficult for Arteta’s credibility to go back now. Perhaps if he had longer to run on his Arsenal contract the situation would be slightly different but Emery flip-flopped on Özil and it ultimately undermined his authority with the squad.