History will repeat itself if Arsenal don’t sign a striker in January

It’s just under two weeks to go before the January transfer market opens and at the top of Arsenal’s shopping list is a striker. While January is a notoriously bad time to find the missing piece to a puzzle, Mikel Arteta has little option but to use the window given that as of matchday 16, Arsenal have scored the fewest goals out of the top five teams in the Premier League.

Fine margins likely to decide title race

The difference might be considered negligible as the Gunners have 35 and Manchester City, the team that has scored the most, have 40. However, the English top-flight title is decided on the finest of margins and it might only take a handful of crucial goals to determine the destination of the Premier League trophy in May.

Right now, Arsenal are having to rely on a sustainable amount of goals from midfield which is hurting their overall chances of winning the league.

This is a sentiment that is reflected in the latest outright Premier League winner betting markets with the Gunners at 7/2 to win their first title since 2004.

Arsenal fans who think that Arteta will bring in a goalscorer who will help the Gunners surge up the league table during the second half of the season can access this list of the best online betting sites in the UK which are offering new customers a welcome bonus of up to £40 which can be used on the Premier League outright market.

As things stand, the bookmakers on this list such as Bet365, Paddy Power and Betfair make City the favourites at 10/11. With Erling Haaland leading the line for Pep Guardiola’s charges, it’s easy to see why the markets back the defending Premier League champions.

Arsenal meanwhile, do not have the same put-your-house-on-it type of quality to rely on in front of goal.

Misfiring Gunners

While Gabriel Jesus’ availability remains an ongoing cause for concern and Eddie Nketiah continues to blow hot and cold, there is a genuine chance of history repeating itself if Arsenal don’t address this problem.

Taiwo Awoniyi’s goal secures Nottingham Forest’s #PL status for the 2023/2024 season ✅

Arsenal’s dream of winning the Premier League is officially over ❌ pic.twitter.com/nFCISYX1wm

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) May 20, 2023

You only need to cast your mind back to a sun-drenched City Ground in May when Arsenal couldn’t break down a stubborn Nottingham Forest defence to recall how costly a toothless attack can be when there is no margin for error.

Indeed, a lack of firepower over 90 minutes on the banks of the River Trent ultimately ended Arsenal’s hopes of winning the league with City crowned champions once the full-time whistle was blown.

These are the types of circumstances that Arteta’s men will face once more when coming down the final stretch. Essentially, every team knows what is required of them at this stage of the season; whether it’s fighting relegation, trying to qualify for Europe or even vying to win the league, the defences that Arsenal are bound to come up against will offer more resistance with everything on the line.

To come out on the side of a positive result in these do-or-die situations, the Gunners will need to get the chequebook out once the new year is ushered in.

Rolling the dice in January

As touched on, the pickings are often slim in January, but two credible names that Arsenal are linked to are Dusan Vlahovic and Ivan Toney, with the latter said to be excited by the prospect of joining the Gunners.

It’s hard to think back to a January transfer market that has so much riding on it for Arsenal. Get it right and the Gunners could end their two-decade title wait. Get it wrong and the Gunners will shoot themselves in the foot for a second season in a row