Final week I wrote about Arsenal’s assault and my perception, which I consider to be extensively shared, that the workforce wants one other dependable sport breaker apart from Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Jover. I will even preface this piece by saying I don’t consider Arteta’s teaching or system is any sort of obstacle to Arsenal’s attacking sport.
The workforce scored 91 Premier League targets final season, Bukayo Saka has not been stifled from turning into one of many sport’s nice attacking gamers and Arsenal dominate each opponent they play, roughly. Once they rating one aim, they don’t sit again and defend, typically talking. They’ve scored 5 away at Sporting and West Ham contained in the final month.
I feel they’ve a personnel challenge in assault. Martinelli isn’t fairly doing it. Trossard isn’t fairly doing it. Havertz isn’t fairly doing it in entrance of aim. Sterling isn’t doing something helpful and Jesus blows cold and hot to say the least. I feel it is vitally a lot a difficulty of recruitment and never teaching. So the query comes, ought to Arsenal have carried out extra to deal with this in the course of the summer season?
If I used to be to behave because the defence counsel for Arsenal, I’d state the next. They tried to signal Benjamin Sesko from Leipzig, who may be very a lot an unpolished gem. That try didn’t come off. They recognised the necessity for an additional attacker to the purpose that they bashed the Sterling button on deadline day and didn’t log off on the discharge of Reiss Nelson on mortgage till that deal was full.
It may not be a degree that folks like, it is likely to be inconvenient, however the market was fairly naked. Liverpool signed Chiesa on a discount deal as a result of he’s so damage inclined that Arsenal may as nicely have signed him as a left-back. Metropolis didn’t change Julian Alvarez. Even probably the most reckless spending membership on this planet, Chelsea, signed Neto and Sancho, who’ve contributed little this season. (Frustratingly, Neto’s solely worthwhile contribution got here towards Arsenal!)
I feel a number of the arguments about Arteta not prioritising attackers are fairly fatuous when context is utilized. Saka and Martinelli began the final Premier League sport and each have been on the membership when Arteta arrived. Arteta additionally arrived right into a state of affairs the place Arsenal had spent about £162m on a entrance three that had completely flopped in Lacazette, Aubameyang and Pepe (solely a kind of attackers offered near their switch worth).
Granted, Arteta and Arsenal very a lot obtained a bye when Willian was prepared to depart some cash on the desk to go away after his disastrous 12 months on the membership. However that additionally serves as a warning about what can occur if you get it unsuitable. For those who spend £100m or so on an attacker and get it unsuitable, you in all probability can’t purchase one other one for some time.
Whereas I’d argue that Arsenal in all probability are in ‘now we have to hit the button on one thing now and hope it really works’ territory, I feel it’s disingenuous to faux that is a straightforward alternative or one which isn’t inherent with nice danger. The counter to that’s that Arteta has been prepared to gamble on extra defensive gamers.
Partey’s minutes have been managed very rigorously at Atleti. Calafiori has an extremely severe knee damage in his previous and Arsenal determined to roll with it. I assume the distinction is that these gamers value £50m whereas playing on an attacker will seemingly set you again double that.
I don’t suppose Arsenal ought to be introduced any kind of ‘at the least you tried’ cake, however huge cash bids for Vlahovic and particularly Mudryk counsel there’s an urge for food for danger in assault. It doesn’t get riskier than being prepared to blow the price range on Mudryk. It’s a aggressive marketplace for attackers. You will get a defender comparatively uncontested, if you go for an attacker on this market, you’re seemingly in a bidding battle.
Nevertheless, I’m extra receptive to the concept Arsenal don’t really want the Goldilocks attacker if one isn’t obtainable. I feel upgrading on Havertz and Martinelli in all probability is tough (if not completely inconceivable) within the present market. I feel there’s a pertinent query as as to whether Arsenal have upgraded on Nketiah and Nelson.
At the moment, Jesus and Sterling’s output isn’t precisely placing Nketiah and Nelson within the shade. Hopefully, Jesus’ hat-trick final night time acts as a set of soar cables for this season however, we also needs to keep in mind that Eddie Nketiah scored a hat-trick final season too. Repeatability is what we want from the Brazilian.
Whereas I consider that Arsenal in all probability do want one other ‘sport breaker’, a greater answer from the bench than Raheem Sterling modelling the newest Arsenal tracksuit would nonetheless characterize an enchancment. Leo Trossard improved Arsenal’s attacking output and he was removed from the right signing.
The curiosity in Sesko means that Arsenal usually are not ready for Goldilocks in an attacking sense, Sesko would have been a ‘mission signing’ which illustrates the place the market is. I feel it was additionally fascinating to listen to Arteta say that he sees Ethan Nwaneri as a quantity 9 sooner or later.
I feel creating him there can be a very good factor to do. If the marketplace for strikers goes to proceed to be impoverished and, subsequently, economically prohibitive, selecting to develop probably the most gifted academy participant you’ve gotten into probably the most tough place to fill in your squad makes plenty of sense. Particularly as the opposite two positions he seems most suited to are crammed by Odegaard and Saka.
My Arsenal Imaginative and prescient colleague Elliot posed the next thought experiment- in the event you might journey again in time and affect occasions, would you fairly Arsenal signed an attacker in the summertime? Or to remove the three pink playing cards from earlier within the marketing campaign and persist with what now we have? I feel that’s a very fascinating query that in all probability tells you the place you’re on the query of whether or not Arsenal ought to have taken a much bigger danger in assault in the course of the summer season.
