And to make issues worse Gabriel Jesus, under no circumstances prolific however not less than extra of a pure match by way of the central areas, was taken off on a stretcher within the first half in opposition to Manchester United.
Arteta admitted afterwards: “It is a massive fear. He was in numerous ache and needed to come off on a stretcher. The worrying issue is the sensation he had when he needed to come off.”
Arsenal’s attacking identify has been made extra on set-pieces this season, with coach Nicolas Jover even getting his personal mural outdoors Emirates Stadium. Twenty of Arsenal’s 62 targets in all competitions, 32%, have come from set-pieces, together with penalties. The mural was Jover’s reward.
Arteta was stating the apparent when he mentioned after the FA Cup exit: “There’s a component about not placing the ball behind the web.”
He added: “The ball has to go within the web then you must batter the opponent. That is the fact.”
Former Arsenal and England ahead Theo Walcott instructed BBC Sport: “It is like everybody else has mentioned earlier than. Arsenal want a striker at the moment as a result of it will have been a totally completely different story.
“Arsenal have gone from being a free-flowing ahead line, thrilling the group, to going a bit stale at Emirates Stadium. You want gamers to do one thing in another way and so they have not received that in the meanwhile.”
And Micah Richards instructed Match of the Day: “The distinction between Arsenal successful the league or successful these ties is only a centre-forward.”
Arteta and Arsenal’s want is much more pressing following his pessimistic bulletin on Jesus, however options are wanting arduous to seek out in January.
Not solely did Arsenal fail to push the button on a transfer for Sesko however he has since signed a five-year contract at RB Leipzig, whereas Gyokeres will probably be on the radar of Europe’s elite ought to he come in the marketplace. His former Sporting coach Ruben Amorim will surely be eager to be reunited with him at Previous Trafford.
Alexander Isak, who confirmed his brilliance by tormenting Arsenal on Tuesday and scoring a objective on the Emirates, is an entire non-starter. He’s now price vastly greater than the £60m that introduced him from Actual Sociedad in August 2022. Take that charge, Newcastle followers would insist, and double it.
Arteta could level out that Arsenal’s Premier League objective tally of 39 is barely eight behind Liverpool. It’s the similar as Chelsea’s, whereas solely Tottenham stand between themselves and Arne Slot’s league leaders with 42.
That is, although, as Arsenal found after they got here up brief in opposition to Manchester Metropolis within the Premier League previously two seasons, a pursuit of trophies constructed on the best margins, as Arteta and his crew are painfully discovering to their price.