Arsenal have lost at least four attackers during this transfer window, with the Gunners signing only one new attacker to replace that loss of depth, leaving Gooners worried about the squad.
When the summer transfer window in 2025 ended, most people were convinced that Arsenal had the squad depth needed to deliver for the team in the following season, and that belief proved to be true.
Pundits and rival fans praised the depth in the Arsenal squad, but the same cannot be said about the current group. It appears that the team could be one injury away from a crisis, particularly in attack.
Arsenal have concerns in attack
The men at the Emirates have made their attack weaker when considering the importance of squad depth, but Arsenal fans could be exaggerating the situation. The Gunners still have several players capable of operating in different positions.
The biggest concern is on the left wing, where Arsenal failed to replace Gabriel Martinelli. However, it is easy to forget that Noni Madueke, while not being particularly effective, can still do a job in that position.
Eberechi Eze has also played on the left wing, giving Mikel Arteta another option. His chances of playing regularly in midfield could be limited this season due to the arrival of Bruno Guimaraes, meaning he could provide useful cover elsewhere.
Gunners still have attacking options
Through the middle, Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres can provide Arsenal with options, while Bukayo Saka remains the key player on the right wing. If Saka stays fit, he could play a major role in Arsenal’s pursuit of the Premier League title.
The concerns surrounding Arsenal’s squad depth are understandable, especially after losing several attackers without directly replacing all of them. The lack of depth on the left side is particularly noticeable and could become an issue if injuries affect the available options.
However, the situation is not as severe as some Gooners believe. Arsenal still have players who can cover different attacking positions, and Arteta has enough quality to manage the squad.
The fear most Gooners have about Arsenal’s squad depth is valid, but things are certainly not as bad as some of them want us to believe.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through this link…
Well we lost 4 forward players and gained one ( who looks worse than the 2 players he replaced so…..
our attacking options have factually regressed
that’s not exaggerated
Correct. We’ve lost depth, but also the left side pace option with Martinelli going. Jury is still out on Tzolis as a replacement for Trossard. At least we got Bruno to help out there.
Attack was our weakest area already, even if we did score 2nd most goals in the league last year – which kind of hides it a bit.
It’s absolutely concerning that a failure to properly reinforce might come back to haunt us.
It’s going to be a tough season. Expect more gruelling high stress games like Villa and face up to it rather than slant the glass sideways in order to make it look fuller than it is. I’m hoping that Dowman and some other bright prospect will step up and show the slow footed ones the way.
Joe, can I ask you who you have in mind reference “the slow footed ones?”
The article is correct in saying that we have weakened our attacking options.
But what we have done, is improve our midfield attacking options with the excellent signing of Bruno.
There is also the fact that Merino is fully fit and showed last season that he knows where the goal is.
I’m expecting many low scoring games at least until the January window and Sundays game will show how good our defence and midfield really are against a strong chelsea attacking side.
Still no official confirmation regarding Martinelli’s departure by the way.
Bruno could make a real difference, PL proven, good business. Be fascinating to see if we can shut Chelsea down.
Re-watched Villa game, they had more chances than stats suggest, including great chance off top crossbar.
With regard to the players that were released, how effective were they on a consistent basis over recent seasons.
Yes, on paper and ‘technically’ we’ve lost depth in the L W and attack, but how much ‘quality’ have we really lost.
Because we have gained further quality and depth in other positions, other players, who have the ability and skill, can provide cover for L W and up front without leaving their primary positions as exposed as before.
The squad has been trimmed which has created space and opportunities for emerging young players ( M L S, Max Dowman, and maybe our new young signing Igor Tyjon ) to come through and get more game time.
Tyjon may only be 18 – Anelka was 17 and left at 19 and look at impact he had.
The January window will provide an opportunity to add quality depth to the L W and attack.
There are still some decent P L experienced Free Agents out there that can be brought in.
The Future is still to be written….
History is still to be made….
Four PL proven attackers out, including 1 we genuinely relied on last season. One non-PL in. Think we can all agree, diminished on that basis alone.
I thought our attack needed improvement in quality as it was. Whilst great finisher, Gyokeres lost possession 43% of time last season – don’t see how Mikel can build around and rely on that at elite level?
Madueke disappointed. Eze was inconsistent. So, last year’s business in attack wasn’t great as it was.
Bruno and Konsa great recruitment. Bruno could really add to our attack. And hopefully Eze can turn the corner and bring consistency.
But to me, high risk transfer action for a team with elite targets and it looked to me like Mikel wanted reinforcement.
Here’s hoping Saka doesn’t get injured again.
To me the squad is good. Our manager doesn’t even know how to use the depth of his squad. He has trust issues. Uses only trusted players, doesn’t like taking risk with giving players opportunities unless is forced by circumstances to do so. His starting eleven is good so no excuses. His squad should be able to hold the forte until the next transfer window in January.
No panic at all. I expect to be at the top of the table or in a competitive position come January.
Arsenal are still lacking in attack. This might cost them this season. They wasted too much time chasing after players who had no interest to play for the club. At least two more signing to replace Martinelli and Jesus would have made for a perfect transfer window.
We have NEVER in the history of Arsenal football club ever had a squad of players as good as we have now. We have NEVER had a squad valued (in relative terms) as much as the squad we have now and that includes last season, when the squad was valued as being second to only Real Madrid. It is perceived by many in Europe that we have the best squad, when has that ever happened? Its up to the manager now. Go out and use your squad. If we fail, it will have nothing to do with the squad.
disagree
we had more options in our attack last season
So that could be costly
That is your opinion not fact. I am talking fact?????
And I never mentioned attack? I mentioned squad?
Thats what the article is about?
no mate
they article is about , has our lack of attacking options been exaggerated .
Look at the title of the article
so factually we have more defensive options this season but less attacking ones
No it says SQUAD very clearly.
And I never mentioned attack? Argumentative or WHAT??
nah I read attacking squad depth so I think it’d referring to our attack lol
Quote title ” are Arsenal fans exaggerating the lack of SQUAD depth” stop making things up????
so are you claiming you don’t see the word attacking ?
no , there are factually less attacking options then last season
No, thats your opinion?
no count them
if you had Martinelli, Jesus , Trossard,Eze , Nwaneri and Maduake as attacking options
basic maths ….. if you add one attacker and take away 4 attackers …… is that more or less attacking options lol
Well said…
Ken;Merino, Zubamendi, Tsios, Harvetz, Gyorkes, White Califiori.They give us very little thrust and creativity and could leave us seriously vulnerable if we needed to open up and play catch up.
As I mentioned. Hope the young talent is given the opportunity to shine.
Its unarguable that the transfer window left us weaker than when we started up front – we failed to get any of our stated top 3 attacking targets. If our ceiling is 80K (and everyone now knows it is) we are not going to get competitive top forwards- we have behaved like a mid table side.i.e. without the financial grunt to get us the quality forwards we need to take us to the next level. Another season relying on the defence to win us games.
A lot of stress is going to be put on Saka/Ode/Havertz/Tzlolis staying fit. One of them out for a few months does a lot of damage to us yet again just like last season. We really should’ve prepared better, and honestly been a bit more ruthless. Could we not have even floated Madueke around for a sale and try to strengthen RW as well? We need goal scorers in this side and a whole summer later we still dont have any. January Arsenal cannot be so picky and frugal. This is the market now and it’s chaotic and unreasonable but if you dont engage you’ll be left behind.
Yes as you correctly said the problem has been exaggerated. Merino is a secret weapon both for club and country. Arsenal attackers have unque traits as they adapt to have multi roles. This factor was taken when recruiting them. Madueke can effectively play on both wings. Eze centre and LW. Havertz as a no. 8 and 9.
I agree that it’s exaggerated. Factually,we have less attackers(by one only) than last season. But realistically,we have the same number as last season,if not more.
For starters,Jesus doesn’t count because he had a long term ACL injury and when he was fit, he wasn’t trusted to play- he was basically Norgaard. At the start of last season, our true options in attack were Martinelli,Trossard,Havertz,Gyokeres,Saka and Madueke( + Dowman).
This season,our options are Tzolis,Eze,Havertz,Gyokeres,Saka,Madueke and Dowman. Considering Havertz was injured long term in the first game,we factually have more options now than we had last season at this stage.Eze was a midfielder last season( played less than 5 games on the LW). This season he will be attacker because we have more than enough options in midfield.
I think part of the apprehension fans have is the uncertainty in how Eze and Tzolis will perform on the left. Tzolis started really well for us and it’s a shame some of our fans are already turning on him after one bad game.
Eze is even more talented than Trossard imo and can excel in that role if he applies himself. If he turns up as we know he can,nobody will be dismissing him as our LW, and Tzolis will be a very able backup from what I’ve seen.
I agree, but it does all hinge on how well tsolis and eze do at left wing, and anyone else who’s asked to play there (e.g. madueke). People like martinelli, so exaggerate how good he was for us last season, which raises the bar slightly. However, trossard did leave some fairly big shoes imo, and that’s a concern – tsolis has had one good game against a weak opponent and one bad game against a stronger one, so the jury is definitely out on him, and eze was terribly inconsistent last season.
I’m not down on these players, I do think they can be brilliant for our left wing, both of them, but they’ve got to prove themselves. They can be a much better pair than martinelli and trossard imo, but they can also be far worse if things don’t go to plan – will have to wait and see.
“Trossard did leave some fairly big shoes..” I think Trossard’s brilliant end to the season clouds our judgement of him. He was just as inconsistent as Eze and Martinelli imo. From the turn of this year up until May, he was average at best and was rightly benched for Martinelli over that period. Then he was excellent in our 3-0 win over Fulham in May and kicked on from there.
The reason why I think Eze can do well is that the LW in Arteta’s system never plays like a typical winger. Trossard (and Tzolis) typically invert into attacking midfield rather than staying wide. The only thing Eze lacks that you get from Trossard,Tzolis and Martinelli is defensive application.
you could say the same about Skelly / Zubimendi
it shows some will be selective
Zubimendi was consistent for more than half of the season. It was his first season in the Prem and the lack of rotation in midfield contributed to his burnout. Skelly wasn’t trusted to play in midfield until much later in the season- a mistake by the manager imo.
The situation of them two is different from that of Trossard/Martinelli who were neither new to the league nor played too many minutes to be burned out.
I agree. Let’s see Eze given an extended run in the role that went well for him at Villa, and judge him on the bank of games, not just the next.
It wasn’t orthodox left forward or winger they gave Eze at Villa. They placed him inverted so the fall back could attack space too, with and without ball.
That’s the plan the management have, that those panicking about lack of left wing depth are missing. It’s a double act master plan.
Others can panic if they want to, but Ricky and Eze working as a left sided double act, as Eze sets or steps inside excites me! Like this emoji. > 🤤
Our Left sides a problem because it’s Tzolis or nothing?
The Ricky and Eze double act is one of the most exciting I’ve ever heard of.
It was very disappointing that we let go of several attackers and bought 1 (Tzolis)
Trossard (sold)
Martinelli (sold)
Jesus (sold)
Reiss Nelson (released)
Nwaneri (Loan)
Its tough for LW especially
I guess we have Tzolis, Eze and Madueke but we should have got at least 1 top forward (Trossard, Martinelli and Jesus were all good to excellent players)
Its a bit of a gamble by MA
Hoping we will still be able to play well but still worried
Worried?
Should Chelsea fans be more concerned than Arsenal fans with the window? Enzo Fernandez – loath him or… loathe him even more than that. And that’s just poll of Chelsea fans – he did bring a lot of world class quality and cutting edge to 10th place trophyless Chelsea last season. They sold him, and didn’t get anyone in to replace him.
Should Liverpool fans be more concerned than Arsenal fans with the window? Liverpool had an un-Liverpool type season last season, and it was basically down to lack of squad depth in certain area’s, lack of quality back up necessary for a PL ECL full breakfast of a season. Good news Fortunately Liverpool had the whole summer window to address their most obvious issues. Unfortunately they did zilch about it. If anything their sells took Prem quality out their squad – the buys did not address the Right Forward, holding mid, both full backs and general lack of quality to 2nd choice third choice options.
Man City. Unbelievable. What’s the second or third option for Haarland?
On Sky Sports they were saying it’s fine, you can’t get second or third choice options for Haarland, they would just degrade on the bench because Haarland starts every game.
What absolutely clueless football commentary!
Haarland can’t play every game, he’ll break! His feet are already giving him Gip! You can have players in and around the team playing 10 or 9 – or even right or left forwards – to cover Haarland – but, wait, what? Foden and Cherki playing 9? Doku or Semenyo playing 9?
Manchester City are one unfortunate toe stub on leg of bed away from their whole season being over before bonfire night!
In contrast with those three clubs, Arsenal are in a solid place. Yet it’s the Arsenal fans marching on the castle with pikes and flaming torches?
Agree 100%. Arsenal are in a good place, let’s enjoy this moment and season.
Would it be great to have a Saka-level threat on the left? Yes. Would it elevate us to CL favourites? Quite possibly.
Was there anybody truly available who would’ve gotten us there? Doubt it. Mbappé isn’t available. Neither is Kvaratskhelia. So too wasn’t Vinny J, in truth.
Who else is that level? Barcola? Bench player at PSG, lots to prove. Doku? Good but no Saka. Rogers? Not a winger. Alvarez? Stats say not really top tier.
Are we the best team in England, maybe Europe? For sure. One Haaland and Palmer injury away from winning the Prem basically unopposed.
Enjoy this my fellow Gooners: we’ve been waiting a long time. This is our time. Hail Arteta!
👍Great spirit Ian! We haven’t been able to enjoy being Champions in a very long time.
Your discussion of Enzo was too funny. I just can’t get the thought out of my head of how the last time they finished 10th in the league they came back the next season without European commitments and dominated on their way to the title. Much different situation with their “team” I know. Those 10th place finishes are very enjoyable though. Almost as fun as seeing Spuds spend £400m just to try and stay above the relegation spots.
Bruised Banana,
Leave Spurs alone there a very strong team, they’re currently at the bottom of the league and holding every other team up after all. 😂🤣
👍Derek, Spuds, the gift that keeps on giving 🤣
Bruised Banana,
And we’re not to far away from Christmas. 😂👍
Gyokeres was our leading scorer last season, who was the last 20 goal striker we had? Auba, under Wenger I believe.
43% of the time he lost possession, but still scored 21 goals. Meanwhile, Madueke had an embarring return compared to the minutes he played.
Gyokeres can’t hold the ball, but scores goals, while Madueke can dribble and drive down the sideline but can’t do squat else in goals/assists.
Madueke on the left will be as ineffective as he was on the right. Remain as ineffective at Arsenal as he was at Chelsea. I have not seen his approach or attitude change, so he production won’t change either.