Arsenal’s gamble in not signing a striker has backfired – there’s no creativity in the final third.
That’s the view of Gunners legend Martin Keown, who believes not even Thierry Henry would score in this team with the chances they are creating.
AFPMikel Arteta’s Arsenal look set to go another season without any silverware[/caption]
Following Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to West Ham at the Emirates, Arsenal’s quest for a first Premier League title since 2004 seems destined to continue into next campaign.
With 12 games to go, Mikel Arteta‘s men sit 11 points behind leaders Liverpool, with the north Londoners to face Nottingham Forest, Manchester United and Chelsea in their next three top-flight matches.
In what has been a freak campaign in terms of injuries, Arsenal are currently without their four main forwards in Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli.
With no recognised striker for the rest of the season, Arteta has turned to central midfielder Mikel Merino to fill the void – a position the Spaniard has previously never played in.
Gooners cried out for reinforcements up top in January, but the board refused to sanction a high-profile transfer as they instead look to strengthen in the summer.
And it’s a decision that Arsenal Invincible Keown believes has ultimately cost them as he commented on the club’s struggles to talkSPORT.com.
He said: “When you’ve got four strikers [forwards] that are out and not available to the manager – Havertz, Jesus, Martinelli and Saka…
“I think in any team, in any situation, what’s the equivalent of that at Liverpool? [Mohamed] Salah not being available, [Diogo] Jota, [Luis] Diaz, [Cody] Gakpo, that would be a hole in Liverpool’s team. So I don’t think anyone can plan for that.
“Last season when Arsenal went on their run – 16 wins [from last 18 matches] – they scored 53 goals.
“They were so collective in the way that they scored goals and I think that was the plan for this year to not bring in a striker and of course that’s backfired.
GettyMidfielder Mikel Merino was recently tasked with leading the line against West Ham[/caption]
Arsenal’s absent stars
- Bukayo Saka – hamstring
- Kai Havertz – hamstring
- Gabriel Jesus – knee
- Gabriel Martinelli – hamstring
- Takehiro Tomiyasu – knee
“Because you’ve seen that they needed a striker – even before the injuries took hold.
“There’s been suspensions, [Martin] Odegaard was out for two months and then Saka of course, so it kind of feels like one thing after another.
“And at the weekend [vs West Ham], they just didn’t create enough, it didn’t matter who was up front, it didn’t matter who was going to be the centre-forward.
“If Thierry Henry was the centre-forward at the weekend, without creating opportunities for him [he wouldn’t score], the precision in their game disappeared.”
And Keown has acknowledged that skipper Martin Odegaard and club-record signing Declan Rice must do more from midfield to help out Arsenal’s ailing attack.
Odegaard has chipped in with just two Premier League goals, while Rice’s only top-flight strike this term came in the 5-1 away win at Crystal Palace in December.
Asked whether Rice and Odegaard should shoulder some of the blame for the club lacking a cutting edge up top, Keown remarked: “There are five injuries at Arsenal and four of them are at the front of the team, so that’s an issue.
“It’s about that creativity, who are you giving the ball to and getting that right balance.
“But yeah, they’ve got to chip in [with goals], that’s the thing, you need everyone to chip in – set pieces is an area where they can do that.
“But if you don’t keep teams under pressure – I think at the weekend there was only one corner come half-time.
“So it’s about the manner of your play, the build-up of your play, trying to apply pressure.
“Of course Declan [should score more], Merino grabbed a couple of goals last week [against Leicester], everyone – [including Thomas] Partey – has to do more.
“Because even the defenders, I saw Gabriel charging forward at the end of the game trying to dig in and score goals.
“It’s not ideal, but those players need to contribute.”
In Arteta’s need for goals, he has deployed attacking midfielder Ethan Nwaneri on the right wing, with the 17-year-old featuring in 16 league matches.
Though Keown has stressed that the fact Arsenal are so reliant on the teenager is a problem that needs addressing.
He said: “I’m liking seeing the kids [Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly] coming through.
“But we’re asking too much of Nwaneri to fill in for as long as he is with Saka out available, and I don’t think you can plan for that.”
Arsenal will be looking for an immediate return to winning ways when they face high-flying Forest at the City Ground on Wednesday night – live on talkSPORT.
As it stands, the north Londoners sit six points above the Reds, with Arsenal now looking over their shoulder as they look to solidify their position in the top four.