Few people are better placed than Ian Wright to assess Arsenal’s attacking woes, and in four words he summed up the thoughts of everyone here at the Emirates on Sunday.
“We need a killer,” said Wright on social media after watching the Gunners miss numerous first-half chances.
Arsenal were ultimately made to pay for their wastefulness in front of goal as Liverpool struck twice late on to dump them out of the FA Cup.
It is now three defeats in a row for Arsenal, who have won just one of their past seven matches.
We need a killer. pic.twitter.com/BqnwJ0wFMO
— Ian Wright (@IanWright0) January 7, 2024
This loss followed a familiar pattern to recent defeats, with the Gunners creating plenty of chances but failing to convert them.
When Arsenal did finally manage to get the ball in the net, it was Jakub Kiwior heading into his own one with 10 minutes to go.
In their quest for an equaliser, Arsenal were hit on the counter and Luis Diaz found the top corner with the type of finish Mikel Arteta’s side have been lacking. Arsenal have had 61 shots in their last three games and managed just one goal.
Wright is right, they do need a “killer” in front of goal — but getting one this month is unlikely. Arsenal owner Josh Kroenke was at the Emirates on Sunday and the easy solution to the goal-scoring malaise would be to open the chequebook.
The reality is, though, that even if the Kroenke family wanted to spend big, they cannot. Arsenal have racked up a net spend of around £400million over the past three years and are close to Financial Fair Play limits, leaving them with little room for manoeuvre.
On Sunday, Arteta said signing a striker this month “does not look realistic”, adding: “One thing is what we need and another is what we can do.”
If Arsenal are really desperate for a striker, then Arteta might have to get ruthless. The Spaniard has not been afraid of doing that during his time at Arsenal and transfer funds could be raised by selling players.
Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson would attract suitors and significantly boost the budget, as sales of academy graduates count as pure profit on the books.
But who would Arsenal spend that money on? It would take a huge fee to prise Ivan Toney away from Brentford this month, given they are in a relegation fight. Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, another target, would cost north of £100m and is currently away with Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations.
A loan deal could be an option, but then who would Arsenal bring in to really move the needle in their bid to win the title?
Tottenham are taking a punt on Timo Werner, who scored 10 goals in 56 League games for Chelsea.
Arteta cannot be accused of a lack of effort in his search for a solution to this attacking crisis. On Sunday, he went with a 4-2-2-2 at times, deploying Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard as a front two in the absence of Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian missed out due to a knee injury, but Arsenal hope his issue is not serious.
Even without Jesus, Arsenal’s attack looked fluid and they should have scored three before the break. Havertz put a header wide, Odegaard hit the bar and Nelson fluffed his lines after rounding Alisson.
"Arteta believes the problem could, in part, be psychological and, if that is the case, a mid-season break now could be just what Arsenal need"
Arteta believes the problem could, in part, be psychological and, if that is the case, a mid-season break now could be just what Arsenal need. They will train in Dubai this week, with some players leaving last night to spend a few days with their family beforehand.
Arteta wants to use this break as a chance to “reset”, and Arsenal have a kind calendar before their League game against Liverpool on February 4. They play just twice before then, while Jurgen Klopp’s side have five games.
With or without a new striker, Arsenal must be better when the two sides meet again.
