Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal side have had a great year of football, with only two games left in the year we look in good shape to be competing for the title this season, although the same could be said for last season and we all know how that turned out.
Going into the January window, Arsenal looks to be on the look out for new talent, especially a new striker. A lot of names have been floating about on who we should and shouldn’t go for, and I’m left wandering if we could manage to win the league if we don’t buy a striker next month.
We obviously already have Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah who have both had good seasons so far, Jesus being out for a lot due to injuries, but when he has been available, he’s been great for the gunners, scoring 3 goals and getting an assist in the Premier League in just the 13 matches he has played. Although his impact is clear when he’s fit and playing, it does seem like a constant worry as to when he might get injured again, and for a team that’s chasing down the title, we can’t really afford to lose him to another injury.
Eddie Nketiah hasn’t started that many games, unless Jesus has been injured, but when he has played, he’s been impressive. Scoring 5 goals and getting an assist as well, he’s more than capable of finding the net and standing in for Jesus when needed but it’s clear he’s not our number one choice and without a good run of games, I don’t see him miraculously becoming better than Jesus and getting that top spot, which for me, is a problem. Relying solely on Jesus could leave us open if he was to have another injury and if Nketiah isn’t playing that often, it’s hardly fair to think he could come in and fill those shoes.
I’m not saying Nketiah isn’t good enough, because he could be, but right now he’s a squad player, and being so young, I think he needs those minutes if we ever want him to become top class.
If Arteta doesn’t vision a future where Nketiah is our number one choice striker, then maybe it is time to sell him and bring in someone with more experience and it might be better for Nketiah’s development. A young striker needs to be playing to improve and I just don’t think Arteta is planning for a future with Nketiah.
We obviously have Havertz, Trossard and Nelson who can all play the striker role, but are they good enough for us to compete for the league? I don’t think so.
It may be hard to enter the market in January, but personally, I think it’s necessary for Arsenal if we want to win the league this season.
What’s your thoughts Gooners?
Daisy Mae
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Answering the headline question – imo, yes, we can.
I don’t think so
Our CFs were physically dominated by Liverpool CBs at Anfield. If Jesus/ Nketiah could do better hold-up play, they might’ve created more chances for their teammates
Gai, I dont think so too👌.
Arsenal seem to be limited tactically and in dynamism due to not having a towering prolific CF. Matinelli and Saka has been found out by many teams especially Matinelli. And their goals return have dropped this season. A CF who can dominate defence and draw players to himself is needed. For me in January what Arsenal need most is a Striker and Centre back in the eventuality that Saliba or Magalhaes is injured. Kiwior won’t measure up in my opinion.
Yup, we need another dimension in our attack. We can’t always rely on the technical skills of our diminutive attackers to make good chances
Benjamin Sesko was linked for a loan at Arsenal and maybe we can try him out
If Saliba gets a long-term injury, I believe we’ll struggle as we did in the end of last season. I hope Magalhaes will be towering enough to replace Saliba
Which striker at present world football will not be physically dominated by Van Dijk and Konate? I don’t think no striker can do what Gabriel Jesus is doing at Arsenal. His movement and relentlessness are the what creates chances for our team. Our problem is not type of players. Our problem is current players are not clinical enough. We play at such high tempo that we lose composure in front of goal. We are a young team so we will improve in time.
Play Havertz in the striker position and get a proper no. 8 midfielder and we’d be good to go
Yes we can.
Don’t see arsenal winning the league without a proper no 9, epl currently doesn’t favour short no 9 s.
The answer to me is NO. We need a prolific striker and an established anchor in midfield as a DM to help us win the league.
Of course! Watch it happen.
Theoretically, yes, because we almost did last year. Realistically, no. I just think adding ok l in 20+ goals a season from a final l focal point of attack just gives a team so much.
Just ask yourself do you think we would’ve won last year if we had prime RvP in the side and you’ll get your answer.
The truth is thought this squad needs much more than just a striker. It was frankly alarming seeing what Klopp had to choose from on the Liverpool bench compared to us.
I’m not convinced RVP would have been enough last season – our defense was much weaker without saliba and too many players failed during the run in, including partey and zinchenko; I just don’t think we were ready to win the title, but of course RVP would have gotten us closer.
@Ben
RealTalk 👍🏾
I think we need more finishing power to win the title – we’re always at risk of dropping points because we miss too many chances. I would go for a striker personally (I don’t know who is realistically available mid-season) but it actually doesn’t really matter whether it’s a central striker or winger or attacking midfielder imo, because they all get chances in this team.
Well we’re third in the league at present as Villa are ‘tearing Man U a new one’!
What a difference 20 minutes or so makes GB. It looked so unlikely. Extra 9 minutes Credit to Utd for not giving up. I didn’t think they would score at all – let alone 3!
Yup, got it totally wrong as usual 😂
These results are going to extend my poor showing in Dan game’s predictor.
Feel it for the Villan, they deserve something from that game, though they may have wakened a sleeping giant.
I believe MU had not scored a PL goal in roughly 440 minutes before their first one. I haven’t before and I still don’t believe AV is a real threat to us in the title race but you never know what can happen in the 2nd half of the season any more than a 2nd half at OT, lol.
yes we can, absolutely
put the other way, are you saying Arsenal can’t win the title with the team we have?
or, would a new striker guarantee us the title?
quite simply no it would not
we are top of the league at xmas, every reason to think the players who got us there can keep us there
the better question earlier today is would an injury to Saliba or Rice end our chances – unfortunately i think it would – so with a limited budget in January it is more depth there, not a striker, where I would be looking
A resounding yes.
Arsenal would have won the league if Saliba was not injured in the Las campaign.
Arsenal would have won the league had we adequate replacement in the back line in the Las campaign.
Arsenal was scoring goals for fun in the last campaign, and there are strong indications we are starting to hit last season scoring form.
I believe the 2nd most significant factor in us not finishing it out in the last campaign was Jesus not being able to recapture anything close to his form from before his bad injury. It doesn’t seem that his confidence has yet to fully return after that devastating injury. imo, doing expensive guesswork in the January market looking for an upgrade or changing the attacking methodology similar to what MC did with Haaland coming out of the summer last season is not the solution to scoring more goals for the 2nd half of this season.
It’s quiet possible for Arsenal to win the Epl league title this season. And without investing to sign a new top quality regular top league goals scoring towering striker next winter transfer window,
however, it will be saver for Arsenal if they in the next January answer window inestimable to sign a clinical finish top league regular.goals scoring towering striker. But if they fine who suit Arteta’s Arsenal project. And the club can afford his signing cost price.
That’s the reason for my suggestions to Arteta to take a serious look at the AFC Bournemouth’s striker Dominic Solanke to have Arsenal signed him for his team in he next Jan Trf window. But he doesn’t think otttheerwis.
I think Solanke should be able to deliver to Arsenal regular clinical finish goals scoring in high number in games if he’s signed by them next winter widow I would opin..
Villa are no giants, not tittle rivals in fact. They’re nothing to worry about.
Reply to @Gunsmoke.
Vamos
Man United is the sleeping giant Aston Villa may have awakened
I think we can if Odergaard, Saka and Martinelli get their shooting boots on. Last season they scored a total of 44 premier league goals, nearly halfway through this season they have a paltry 11 goals so far. Realistically it will be difficult to buy a quality striker in January considering most of them are involved in the knockout stages of the UCL. Sorry Daisy, I have to disagree with your remarks that Jesus is having a great season. 3 goals in 13 games equates to 9 goals in a full season – below average for a striker don’t you think?
Basically we want six players, at least the three top class. The question should be, is the money available for something like this?one?
This is the strike force Arteta chose. If we win it, he chose well, if we dont he didn’t. SIMPLES!!!!!!
As much as anything we need another dimension in our attacking play. We also need greater threat and consistency. With all due respect to Eddie he’s never going to do this.Given that his current “market value” is possibly as high as its ever going to be it makes perfect sense to sell him to a Club who more necessarily need him or part exchange him with Toney.
Toney would certainly give us another dimension and his greater goal threat would free up more space for our other attacking players.Rotating him with Jesus would also make Arsenal less predictable and would also give Arsenal an additional option on the right side…meaning Saka could occasionally be rested and Jesus played instead.This would ensure that Saka wasn’t overplayed as he was at the end of last Season.
I don’t think Arteta will ever buy a true striker. We are the best off the ball team in the world and I don’t think anyone is better than Gabriel Jesus at CF. Eddie Nketiah gotta be one of the best backup CF around. Our problems are lack of composure in front of goal from current players and lack of backup for Saka. Maybe a bit of creative midfield player like Odegaard in midfield. I think Arteta will remedy this issue in January or in the summer.
No, I don’t think we will. You can win a game or series of games without a top scoring striker, but you can’t win the title over a long season.
We’re doing well enough so far, but not scoring at the rate we were last season, although the chances are still being created. I’d say we will get a new striker, but not until summer, unless a temporary loan deal can be arranged to get us around FFP.
This league looks set to be won on fine margins and yes we are struggling upfront which may cost us.
Getting a quality C.F in January will always be tricky. I’ve always thought Havertz is a better option at C.F in this league than say Nketiah.I also think G.Jesus with the shift he puts in matches should be played on the left wing ahead of Martinelli.
A forward line of Saka Havertz and G.Jesus will make us less predictable. Havertz stature will always make life difficult for defenders and allow others like Odegaard, saka,G.j,Martinelli &Trossard to score more.
I think we have enough numbers to cover the midfield and will not miss Havertz.We need him more in our attacking department.
we will never win the league with our current crop of front players.we need two finishers in january. we have no depth up front whatsoever, and ,we are so predictable, despite having wizards like saka and martinelli. it is the same old,same old each match. you can predict what the front 3 are going to do each time one of ours has the ball. we need players who can surprise opponents,and,turn a game on its head. presently,we do not have such a player as we all know what martenelli and saka are going to do once either of them get the ball. if we know it then surely the opposing players know it.our front players, to me, resemble robots,and they only know one trick. not a chance of us winning anything with this team, i am very sad to say.i hope i am totally wrong.