Newcastle beat Arsenal 1-0. The Magpies’ #9 was the decisive player; his excellent header from an Anthony Gordon cross in the 12th minute decided the game.
While it’s understandable that Kai Havertz couldn’t replicate Isak’s offensive threat due to Arsenal’s creative limitations, it’s difficult not to be envious of the Swedish striker’s performance on Saturday afternoon. Besides scoring, the ex-Real Sociedad man was a revelation for the Toon, showing confidence with the ball and a desire to take on Arsenal players.
Remember, he’s a player we’ve been trying to sign, and if the transfer rumors from last summer are any indication, he’s one of the strikers we’ve watched. You can’t help but feel he could have made a difference in such a game had he been in red and white.
Does Arteta still want him for his team?
After the game, reporters asked the Arsenal boss if he would love to have Isak in his team. He admitted, “I don’t know. I love my players, and I wouldn’t change them for anybody else.”
At least he didn’t say no, as Arsenal should be all over Isak if he decides to leave St. James Park. The Swedish international’s contract with Newcastle expires in 2028, but Newcastle fans are heavily criticizing the club for not attempting to secure a new deal for the striker, given the likelihood of a major club pursuing him sooner rather than later.
Given the Magpies’ complacency in rewarding their star player with a new deal, Arsenal should closely monitor his situation. Given the Premier League PSR issues, the Magpies may find themselves in a situation where they need to sell him, and that’s when the Gunners should strike.
A team like Arsenal could potentially find their own goal machine in Alexander Isak. Last season, he scored 25 goals across all competitions; this season, despite a slow start, he has already scored 4 goals in 10 games.
Is it now obvious to Arteta that he should have invested in a top striker last summer?
Darren N
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Armchair managers and aome fans will wish we has sign a top striker, but that’s not the cause for our win less streak.
It’s down to injuries and a little weakness in man management
If Arsenal bought Isak, he would likely not produce assists and pre-assists, because he isn’t dominant physically
We’ve got a world-class goal-scorer like Aubameyang, but he could only produce goals and couldn’t help his teammates as Giroud did
I believe Arsenal were looking for a strong CF in the mold of Giroud instead of a lanky one like Isak and Aubameyang, hence the pursuits of Vlahovic and Sesko
When we were beating PSG, Aston Villa, Spurs, drew with Man City and Liverpool, Arsenal fans were silent about a striker
Look at City yesterday. They lost to Bournemouth with Haaland, yet when we lost against the same team with 10 men, both Arsenal fans and Clueless pundits like Rio Ferdinand were criticising Arteta for not buying a striker
Isak, Gyokeres aren’t better than Aubameyang, yet when we were having the Gabonese and Lacazette, we were struggling to qualify for Champions League, let alone fight for the title
Let’s support the team now, and let’s stop this criticism
Aubameyang was with a different team. And I would say are current team is superior to that team. So you can’t compare really
Also criticism is a normal thing in life. It’s a healthy thing. There’s a difference between criticism and throwing negativity towards the team.
Genuine Criticism is there to help improve something and is required really
Those who suggested a striker have never changed their opinion regardless of results.
Arsenal should have got a proper number 9 in three seasons ago, it hasn’t just been this season.
Who knows, if we had a proper number 9 in the previous two seasons, that might have made the difference in the tight games, but we’ll never know now will we.
Last season wa in our hands we bottled it against villa and also fulham. Also jorginhos mistake against tottenham.. Win any of these games and we would have won the league
We all know at some point we would need a striker at some point this season. Firstly Haverz, isn’t a striker and secondly an option to Haverz. And that is plainly obvious, as some of us have been saying, it was a mistake, not to get one.
I think it’d unlikely if Arsenal will sign a new prolific goals scoring striker in nectar winter transfer window. But I think if an opportunity foes arise for then to shin Benjamin Sesko next January, they may sign hin uf they have the financial muscle to do his signing.
But for now, I think Karl Havertz is quite okay to be leading the Lines for Arsenal as their centreforward. But I think the lack of creativity in th Arsenal’ midfield as occasioned in our last Newcastle away game yesterday in the Epl. Has looked to had rendered Havertz and Saka ineffective for Arsenal in the match. For, the duo strike force did not get any proper service from Merino, Trossard and Rule to make attempts to score goals for us in the match. And Partey at leftback hasn’t the pace to overlap to setup Saka to score like Ben White often does.
So therefore, against Inter at away in Ucl on Wednesday night. The Arsenal’s midfield personnel in the match NUST create many goals scoring opportunities for the Arsenal’s forwards in the match to take them and score goals for Arsenal to beat Inter.
And again our wingers are not performing well we must have a proper 9
The lost by the champions hardly came as a surprise, the wheels have been wobbling for sometime, though some have had ignored it completely.
A striker is not our problem, when Haaland first join the champions, he was scoring while suddenly the team stop winning.
It is a delicate balance that guarantees nothing
I think it’s unlikely if Arsenal will sign a new prolific goals scoring striker in next winter transfer window. But I think if an opportunity does arise for them to sign Benjamin Sesko next January, they may sign hin uf they have the financial muscle to do his signing.
But for now, I think Karl Havertz is quite okay to be leading the Line for Arsenal as their centreforward. But I think the lack of creativity in the Arsenal’ midfield as occasioned in our last Newcastle away game yesterday in the Epl. Has looked to had rendered Havertz and Saka ineffective for Arsenal in the match. For, the duo strike force did not get any proper service from Merino, Trossard and Rice to make attempts to score goals for us in the match. And Partey at leftback hasn’t the pace to overlap to setup Saka to score like Ben White often does.
So therefore, against Inter at away in Ucl on Wednesday night. The Arsenal’s midfield personnel in the match NUST create many goals scoring opportunities for the Arsenal’s forwards in the match to take them and score goals for Arsenal to beat Inter.
Arsenal must have and must sign a striker not a player who came and failed to nail a position in the position he was signed for.
On another note reflecting in light of the past two seasons where we were supposed to win the league only for Arteta to mess up from leading positions the team could have been on a rebuilding course this season. However Arteta should not be given that chance again as it doesn’t look like he can achieve what we want him to. Had he won the two previous seasons no one would be calling foe his head. 6 seasons without achieving epl champions status is enough to send him packing.
Do I wish we had bought a top striker, yes. Do I think that is our current problem, no. Our problem is inconsistency, some games we play like champion pretenders and too often we play like a mid table team. Even our very best players are not consistent with their quality, then there are players like Martinelli, Trossard and Jesus who are simply not at the necessary level, period. We miss Odegaard’s class and creativity, the only other creative player we have is Saka. Martinelli plays with blinkers on and Jesus tries to show boat and always wants one more touch. Aargh!
The lack of a striker, is a problem. We can’t change the way we play when we have to because we haven’t got one. We can’t get the ball in the box early because there is nobody in there to receive it, a striker.
It is a problem, but it is not the only problem. When we had Lacazette he had to drop deep to get a sniff of the ball. Inverted wingers do not service traditional strikers well, although Haaland doesn’t do so bad. 😊 The goal that Izaak scored yesterday was not typical of the goals he usually scores. Interestingly, the cross came from a right winger with his right foot. I sometimes wonder why we don’t switch Saka and Martinelli to keep the opposition guessing and play a different way. Everyone knows Saka is coming inside, although knowing doesn’t mean you can stop him. Regardless, a change for a few minutes would freshen it up.
Correct and I think Arteta can not change the inverted wingers because, he thinks that the way we play, wouldn’t be right with conventional wingers. Because we don’t have/play with a no9.
Most said that in the summer
I was told Havertz would score more then Halland and Eddie was better then Mbappe lol
Welp, at least we did not buy Zirkzee. 😆
Isak was not available
Sesko was not available
in the same way Haaland is not available
Zirkzee, Osimhen, Vhlorhic are just not consistent or prolific
Gyorkeres is the only genuine question mark, the fact that there were no bids by anyone suggests something, £100m of money we didn’t have either
Solanke anybody…no I thought not!
so it all very well saying Edu/Arteta should have done this and that but reality is few genuine contenders for the ’30 goal a season’ magician lusted after – a say magician as conjuring two goals from zero service to beat Newcastle is miracle territory