New Delhi: Over the years Mikel Arteta has come to be known as a very methodical manager with a keen eye for detail. However, it does seem that at the moment Gunners don’t have a complete squad which explains why they lost to Manchester United in the third round of the FA Cup, their loss to Newcastle United in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-finals and their six points deficit to Liverpool despite having played one game more in the Premier League.
A lot of this is due to Arteta and Arsenal’s poor strategy during the transfer period. At times it does feel like they are coming with a spoon to the gunfight. Arteta reflected on the game and noted that it can happen in one “in a 1000 games” and that it was unfortunate that the loss came at such a juncture. While the Spaniard claimed that Arsenal deserved to win by a big difference, they have to face the fact that they are out of the competition.
🔴⚪️ Mikel Arteta: “It’s incredible how you don’t win that game”.
“New striker? We missed form various ways and different players. I understand guys. I cannot love my players more. I focus very much on the ones that I have”. pic.twitter.com/LIjrwsgRyi
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 12, 2025
The biggest problem that Arsenal face are their lack of a proper striker for quite a while now and this is something that Arteta has constantly overlooked and instead chosen to strengthen other areas. They are now faced with a big task in their quest to reach the Carabao Cup final as they start the second leg of the semi-final with a two goal deficit as well as keep themselves in contention for the Premier League title. All of this is because of Arteta not having a designated goalscorer.
What do the stats say about Arsenal’s losses
The statistics from the two defeats give a glaring warning to Arsenal. Against Newcastle, they had 23 shots with only three falling on target, while against Manchester United, they had just seven shots target from 26 in the two hours of play. Against Man United, 22 of those shots came inside the box with the Gunners making 55 touches in the penalty area. The only Arsenal goal in the game came from a deflected by defender Gabriel.
In the FA Cup, the last 29 minutes of the regular time and the entirety of the extra time of 30 minutes, United played with just ten men in the field, with Diogo Dalot sent off after receiving a second yellow card, and that just shows how in the soup Arsenal are in. There were indications that Arsenal’s weakness was evident last season but were expected to sort out the issues during the summer transfer window.
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal’s poor transfer market strategy
RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko was thought to be the top contender with a release clause priced at £55m and even Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting was also in consideration. However, Arteta brought Italy’s Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna to strengthen their backline at a deal thought to be in the price of £42m. The North London outfit then went for midfielder Mikel Merino for £32.6m despite not being a natural creator.
Their only attacking option was Raheem Sterling, a deadline day transfer bought purely at the spur of the window closing coming on a loan from Chelsea. The English international has scored just once across 12 games and has made little impact on the side. This has led Kai Havertz to be used as the striker, though the role doesn’t come to him in an instinct. He missed a big chance against Newcastle and missed a penalty in the shootout against United and has become somewhat of a face for the Gunners’ shortcomings.
On Sunday, he had five shots inside the box and 11 touches. During the closing minutes of the Newcastle faceoff, he attempted a header in an open goal which could have made a bit of a difference for the two-goal deficit in the semi-final aggregate result, but it flew wide off his shoulder. What Arteta wouldn’t have foreseen was the prolonged injury absences of Bukayo Saka and the 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri.
Now, Gabriel Jesus, though not prolific in particular but is a better fit in the central areas, was taken off in a stretcher during the first half of the United game. Arteta later noted that it was a worrying sight and admitted that the Brazilian was in a lot of pain when he came off the field.
🚨⚠️ Arteta: “Gabriel Jesus? Big worry, that’s my feeling”.
“He had to come off on a stretcher touching his knee… so unfortunately it’s not looking good”. pic.twitter.com/QKC8dkeCDG
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 12, 2025
Arsenal’s attack has been more through set-pieces in the season, with 20 of the 62 goals Arsenal have scored across competition this season have come through set-pieces including penalties, which is why their set-piece coach Nicolas Jover is a favourite in the Arsenal camp.
In his reaction, Arteta noted the obvious when he said that to dominate, the team needs to find the back of the net in regular instances. Everyone has noted that they have gone from being excited in the frontline to being rather dull, which is why they are in such a desperate need to find a solution to this problem.
What next for Arsenal?
They failed to bring in Sesko, who has since signed a five-year contract with RB Leipzig. If Gyokeres comes to the market, he would be the Gunners’ target. However, there would be a lot of competition with Man United manager Ruben Amorim, who would also be keen on reuniting with the Sporting forward at Old Trafford.
While Arteta’s side have the joint-third most goals scored in the Premier League with 39 goals, Liverpool the leaders scoring just eight more than them. However, they have come short against Man City in the last two seasons with the difference made on the slightest margins.
Despite being second in the Premier League table, Arsenal have repeatedly failed to impress when it matters the most this season owing to their failure to find the back of the net. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
