The Arsenal 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth has some Gooners concerned about their team’s title chances. This raises the question: What is Arsenal’s primary concern currently, eight games into the season? Or, more specifically, what is the most significant hurdle to the North Londoners winning the league?
Three factors, in my opinion, hold back this Arsenal team: a lack of attack creativity, our indiscipline and poor refereeing, and the fact that we have never acquired another devastating striker. In terms of creativity, we don’t lack individuals capable of winning games, but we don’t have enough, so we have to depend on Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and our centerbacks to head into corners and halt opponents’ attacking play.
Last season, when Arsenal lost to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals, the Gunners’ decision-makers allegedly came to the conclusion their team lacked a player with the X-factor to breach even the strongest defenses. Arsenal are here now because they never bought such a player in the summer.
Kai Havertz had been excellent, but we needed someone else to step in when the German is unavailable. If Arsenal has to sign someone else, they should look for a traditional striker (surely they could’ve used one this season). Imagine if someone could score goals for this team even if they are struggling (remember that Martinelli chance versus Bournemouth; a deadly striker would have scored that).
Imagine if we had signed “killers” like Benjamin Sesko, Alexander Isak, or Viktor Gyokeres last summer, who could have transformed the Arsenal attack into a formidable weapon. You may chastise me for persisting, but Havertz is influential, albeit not always, and it’s clear that we needed both him and a classic striker this season. Eddie Nketiah’s departure has left us without a classic striker, and Gabriel Jesus isn’t one either.
Aside from that, our Gunners need to focus on their discipline (and perhaps hope for luck with the match officials) so that they do not continue to pick any more red cards — 3 red cards in 8 games is just not right.
Declan Rice’s red card forced us to play without him against Spurs, and now we will face Liverpool without William Saliba, a situation that is less than ideal. It is also worth remembering that every time we have received a red card, we have dropped points, which is not beneficial for our title chances.
Darren N
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I will not stop to say we need a dynamic forward in the mould of VGyokeres, Victor Osimehin or Alexander Issak. We don’t have any deputy for Havertz and in games when he goes missing Jesus can’t do the magic. How long are we fans going to keep wishing Havertz don’t get injury.
Factors: 1 Another CF
Factor:1 Another skillful deputy for Saka
Factor:3 A good right footed deputy for Saliba.
Factor 4 A structure that allows our accadeny players to show their talent more often in first team.
In Timber, White and Tomi, when he is fit, we have three able deputies for Saliba.
@Grandad I bet these players you mentioned cant deputise for Saliba without the heart of the fans beating fast in top matches. They all seem better as full-back as to CDefence.
In the case of Timber and Toni they both played at right centre back for their Nations, and in the case of White he played in central defence for Leeds and Brighton and was only switched to right back by Arteta.In a number of ways I consider Timber to be at least the equal of Saliba who has a tendency to get caught out of position as was the case against Bournemouth.
100% agree we need backup for Havertz.
Red cards I think it’s down to biast refing imho. Especially the 1st 2 where simular instances were not enforced.
As for creativity. We have a young accademy ayer begging for time. Yet arteta plays Mereno ….. why?
Even playing trossard in CAM and starting martinelli would have been better than Mireno….. very odd decision from arteta at times
Darren N,
You say our indiscipline and bad refereeing are two factors holding us back.
I agree with the indiscipline bit, but the poor refereeing. (Give me a break).
If Arsenal have to bank on the performance of the referee to win games, then that doesn’t say much about Arsenal does it. (Come on).
Unfortunately most Arsenal fans out here don’t even know what we need. This team lacks creativity and you talking of a striker Aside Saka and Ordegaad who obviously is missing right now let’s assume we have the likes of Gykores or Osihmen who will give them the pass to score. Partey or Rice or Moreno. Common guys we lack attacking midfielder and wingers.