Paul Scholes has pointed out one area of Arsenal’s game that has been lacking this season, even as the unbeaten Gunners aim to win the Premier League title.
This marks the third consecutive season in which Arsenal has mounted a serious challenge for the title.
Last season, they were potent in attack and solid defensively, which allowed them to remain in the title race until the final day.
However, they still fell short of becoming champions. Despite this, most fans believe the Gunners have now reached a level where they can finally win the title.
So far this season, Arsenal remains unbeaten, having drawn only two matches, with their sights firmly set on becoming champions next summer.
However, Scholes has identified one area that concerns him: Arsenal’s attack. He believes their offensive play needs to improve if they are to become champions this season.
He said, as quoted by the Daily Mail:
‘Arsenal have been poor going forward this season.
‘You look at all the goals they scored last year, and everyone was talking about getting a centre forward in the summer and you thought they probably didn’t need it.
‘But five or six games in, it feels like Arsenal are struggling – it’s not quite clicking.’
Just Arsenal Opinion
We need more goals and our decision not to sign a striker seems to be haunting us already, so we probably need to act on that in the January transfer window.
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A center forward is needed if we really want to win the league.
Scholes was monosyllabic as a player, but these days he’s a right little chatterbox and best disregarded.
Jax,
I have to say that on this occasion I have to disagree with you about disregarding what Paul Scholes has to say.
Although its early in the season, I also think that Arsenal are not functioning going forward.
At the moment players like Jesus, Martinelli, and Trossard can’t hit target if the goals were twice there size.
The times you see Martinelli get into good positions down the left, but there’s no end product. (He has regressed as a player, not improved).
And as for Jesus, he couldn’t hit the target with a Banjo, (Whatever that means). All he offers is his little tricks and nothing more. The fact that City were willing to let him go, should have been a warning sign.
And as for Trossard, he just confuses me. Sometimes he looks really good, but overall flatters to deceive.
So, Jax as I said earlier on this point I agree with Paul Scholes opinion.
Derek, I’m sure you’re right, it’s just that I can’t stand the little turd.
Jax,
Just a hunch, but I get the impression you don’t like him.
It means if he couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo then his shooting skills were poor, use to be a cow’s arse with a banjo
You have to consider the caliber of opposition we have played. No attack is going to score lots of goals against quality teams. Villa,Brighton,City,Tottenham and Atalanta are all good sides. We’ve played three out of four away.
Then the circumstances of having to playing two halves of football with 10 men. When you’re less one player, you virtually stop attacking and focus on defence.
Finally,the injuries and suspension we’ve had in midfield have also affected the attack. We’ve had to improvise a lot without Odegaard and Merino.
Well put
@Onyango
No offence but, the time for excuses are over. The calibre of the opposition was always going to get better and should be anticipated just as we get better.
We’ve reinforced our back line and midfield but not our forward line. We still lack a prolific target man,as well as a rotation partner for Saka. All of which should have been addressed but haven’t.
Once again I find it hard to see our current squad being capable of fighting on more than one front. Like I stated earlier”Time for excuses are over”…Just sayin.
Isn’t it easier to score against Ipswich than Villa? Isn’t it easier to score with 11 than 10? Isn’t it easier to score with your most creative player on the pitch?
We are just five games into the new season for crying out loud! Two points off the top of the table having negotiated City,Tottenham and Villa away- three of the most difficult fixtures in the league. And could easily be top of the league if not for the red cards.We are through to the next round of the league cup as well.
Arguing what the club did or didn’t do in the market is pointless at this point. There’s another window in January to review the performance of the squad and strengthen where possible.
Talking of rotation option for Saka,isn’t that Sterling? I’m sure he played there yesterday when Saka was subbed off and did fairly well.
Overall, the team has done well so far.Can’t say we are slacking in any of the three competitions. And the fourth competition isn’t until the new year.I’m sure we have a better tally in the league now than we had at this point last season,having played the harder fixtures.
@Onyango
I see, it’s pointless to point out what the club did or didn’t do in the market, but not to point out what they did or didn’t do on the pitch. Got it..,
For the record, what the club did or didn’t do in the market has an effect on how they do or don’t do on the pitch. Just saying…
It seems you didn’t get the point I made in response to the opinion from Scholes.
I don’t disagree that we could have gotten another forward in.
What I’m saying is that there have been mitigating circumstances in us not being as prolific in attack as we know we can . And that we are not actually as bad as Scholes is making it out to be. Arsenal’s attacking output in 2024 is still one of the best in Europe.
@Onyango
And you missed the point completely. This could all have been avoided. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”. Just saying…
What, NYG would you have done differently? Assuming of course you know the availability of targets and the club’s ability to attract and the purchase their desired player
@SueP
No need to get all up in your feelings Sue anytime someone makes a critique about the manager and his shortcomings. And I never claimed to know any of what you “assumed” I should know. I simply made a statement and an assessment. Simple as…
Tetchy NYG
And more importantly- not relevant to my way of thinking. It isn’t possible to always get what you want
@SueP
Not “tetchy”, just stating my case and doing it well going by the responses…✌🏾
NYG
Nothing to do with getting up in my feelings over Arteta – what a thing to suggest. It’s very easy to say what the club should have done. Was this no9 available? Was there enough money in the pot? Would signing Toney have been the answer? All legitimate thoughts and perfectly acceptable grounds to have a different opinion and to express that difference. You made your assessment and I disagreed with it. But I read Onyango’s post and that reflected my thoughts
@SueP
Understood and respected Sue.
the enigmatic ‘prolific target man’ does not help us in 10 men vs Brighton and Man C, may be the opposite, is this mythical elite goal machine going to be able to put in the relentless defensive discipleine to keep out the opposition with 10 men, and transition to out of possession tactics against Spurs when we had no midfield
it shows a minimal understanding of managing the game situation, or in fact the game of football at all to think that Man C and Brighton outcomes were all about ‘prolific target man’
do you honestly believe @NY_Gunner that with your mythical ‘prolific target man’ as one the 10 men of Arsenal against Brighton and Man C that Arsenal would have won those games?…JUST SAYIN
@Arsenal1886
I dealt with your excuses below. Just saying…😁
no you didn’t, Atalanta 1-1 away nothing to with Brighton and Man C red cards, what nonsense, yet again
answer the question
do you honestly believe @NY_Gunner that with your mythical ‘prolific target man’ as one the 10 men of Arsenal against Brighton and Man C that Arsenal would have won those games?
come on @NY_Gunner, answer the question
Just nonsense…
Onyango,
Regarding the Injuries, the lack of cover in certain areas of the team are down to two men. A certain Arteta and Edu.
I think it’s true that generally the attack hasn’t been as fluid as last season. In fairness, several factors have contributed to that – the quality and/or tactics of much of the opposition in recent games, injuries requiring re-shuffles etc.
That said, in the EPL only two Arsenal players have scored more than a goal (two goals, in each case) and all Arsenal’s scorers combined (8 goals) haven’t reached Haaland’s personal total to date. Also, of the current top 10 in the EPL, only Newcastle, Forest and Fulham have scored fewer than Arsenal.
Hopefully, we’ll see a return to the more free-scoring style shortly, Leicester would be a good start, and more goals specifically from the strikers – it is what they’re there for after all.
I don’t agree with Scholes at all, demonstrates near zero understanding of the games played, or perhaps just not watching
we have played 5 PL games, each with a story to tell
Wolves was 2 – 0, Havertz and Saka combining well for strong win
Aston Villa was 2- 0, another strong performance putting the ball in the net
Brighton – Arsenal were purring at 1 – 0 up at half-time until the Rice red card, from then it was 10 behind the ball low-block holding on
Spurs – how quickly we forget the desperate times ahead of that match with Odegaard, Rice and Merino out, with no midfield Arteta allowed Spurs possession hoping to nick one, fortunately we did, but zero attacking intent as a tactic
Man C – do I need remind everyone we scored twice to be leading until the tick of half time and another red card, the rest is history with again zero attacking intent
so when looked at that way a different story told, the first 2.5 games we scored 5 unanswered goals, the next 2.5 goals with 2 red cards and absent midfield we still managed 3 goals in a back-against-the-wall defence
we saw last night how things change with the context of the game – 5 goals last night
with Liecester and Southampton at home our next two PL fixtures lets see Arsenal have perhaps added significantly to goal difference and prove Scholes wrong
Our attack this season so far has been average and the lack of a no9 is at the moment causing us problems. We seem far too much on staying solid and relying on set pieces. That HAS to change. We wont win anything unless we can open teams up more easily.
I understand the whole of your argument Reggie
Do you think that the financial pot could only go so far this summer and Arteta and Edu have had to bolster the back and wait for the summer to address the forward line? That’s the only explanation I can think of especially as the”right “ target was not available- or so it seems
Sue, we should have bought a no9. Even sold Jesus, to help fund it. I suppose we didn’t know early enough, we were getting Sterling or we may have.
no Reggie you are wrong
it is 2 red cards that have cost Arsenal
all other games Arsenal have won
if you honestly believe a #9 would have changed both the 10 man Brighton and Man C draws to wins then state it now – ‘yes’ or ‘no’ are the only answers
come on Reggie, be brave enough
@Arsenal1986
Did we get a red card at Atalanta also?🤔
Reggie is spot on. Deal with it.
what are you on about, what has Atalanta got to do with it, which Arsenal scored away by the way, the draw was because we conceded
if you want to play that way then Arsenal scored 5 goals last night none from set pieces, so Reggie an you wrong
but unlike the football uneducated, i will not offer 5 goals Bolton at home in C Cup to counter 10 men away to Man C, they are completely different contests and contexts to not judge our attack on
watch some footbal with your eyes open…just saying
And we have been poor going forwards. We are getting set piece reliant.
If you like the style we are playing, good luck to you.
Wolves – we were excellent going forward, 2 – 0
Villa – we were excellent going forward, 2 – 0
Brighton – we were excellent going forward, 1 – 0 and purring at half time, after the RIce red card completely changed to defense
Spurs – with Rice, Odegaard and Merino our midfield was bare and Arteta tactic was allow Spurs possession and defend, hoping to nick one, which we did
Man C – 2 – 1 up at the Etihad is the stuff dreams are made off until the red card to Trossard, defended for our lives
so our attack has actually been very good until the red cards, when understandably we shut up shop
and short memories of Spurs without Odegaard, Rice, Merino – clearly Arteta not setting up to attack
8 goals scored in 5 games, including away to Spurs, Man C and Villa, with 2 red card desperate defensive games – that is not “poor going forward”, that is pragmatic football and hard work to get results (to blame “poor going forward” demonstrates…)
as we found out last night with 5 goals, and we will against Liecester and Southampton at home where I fully expect a strongly positive addition to goal difference
NY, sense as usual 👍
@Reggie
It’s starting to feel like a cult around here. As soon as you exhibit a contrary opinion, you get attacked as if there is no room for discussion or debate. Fall in line or else…🤨
I dunno…helps pass the day, and provide some fun for early risers😂.
👍
👍
What on earth are you on about? Brave? Im talking about winning games with set pieces, over actually breaking open teams. It happened last season and this. We are tryto win games with defenders winning set piece goals. And I am NOT wrong. Its my opinion!!!!! And you are not right either.
you still didn’t answer the question…just sayin
Someone please assist these three Manchester United old crocks with their fan base for their old club, please 🙏🏾
They’re just comparing to what they know from their days at utd (and needling arsenal fans a bit) – arteta was pragmatic and got a good result from a tough position. It was more mourinho than Ferguson/Wenger perhaps, but it’s not like mourinho wasn’t successful at big clubs. Sometimes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.