Another defeat and another 20 shots on goal – Could Arsenal possibly need a striker?

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·8 novembre 2024

Another defeat and another 20 shots on goal – Could Arsenal possibly need a striker?

It’s a difficult moment to be a Gooner, but Mikel Arteta must have had it even more challenging. After the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle, which left our Gunners winless in three league games, the hope was that they would force their way back to winning when they faced Inter Milan.

However, they lost 1-0 due to a controversial penalty (which Calhanoglu converted) after Mikel Merino was judged to have handled the ball in the penalty box. As controversial as that spot kick was, the Gunners felt they were denied a clear penalty earlier on after Inter’s goalkeeper punched Mikel Merino, who was attempting to head in a beautiful cross into the box.

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Yes, the Gunners may feel unfairly treated, but why didn’t they capitalize on their opportunities with 20 shots and none a goal?

Nevertheless, this game will breathe new life into the “Arteta Out” calls. The Spanish coach isn’t doing himself any favours; some of his moves have left the Gooners with more questions than answers.

Arteta needs to learn how to rotate his team; his current strategy of sticking with his starting 11 until injuries force adjustments isn’t optimal. I doubt the Arsenal boss would have made a change to the Arsenal lineup that lost to Newcastle if Declan Rice was fit.

It’s unfortunate that Arsenal’s manager prioritises seniority over profiles when injuries occur. Unfortunately, Myles Lewis Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri have not received the chances they deserve.

Many Gooners were frustrated with the Kai Havertz-Leandro Trossard experiment after the Newcastle game, but the Arsenal manager is unwilling to change his tactics because he believes in the process, even if a change is necessary.

Yes, we know Arsenal is at its finest defensively, but that doesn’t mean we always rely on defensive pragmatism to deal with harder opponents. Perhaps the squad would have a better chance of winning if they tried to play their own game.

What a crazy stat. pic.twitter.com/crgEueLigy
— WelBeast (@WelBeast) November 5, 2024

The Arsenal women’s technical bench has found a way to get the best out of the team through subs. Arsenal can do that, but the substitutes are always too late – in 7 minutes on the pitch, Nwaneri did better than Trossard, who was on for 82 minutes.

It’s also not always necessary to prioritise physique over technique. For example, starting Raheem Sterling, Ethan Nwaneri, or Gabriel Jesus over Trossard against Inter Milan would have been appropriate. Unfortunately, Arteta will not adjust a winning 11, even if the next opponent requires a different setup.

Any player who makes the Arsenal squad should be given a fair chance to play, but Arteta alienates players when he has a new preferred option, destroying their confidence and transfer values. For instance, if Arsenal continues to overlook Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, their values will significantly decline.

We applaud Arsenal for how they’ve conducted themselves, but the fact that they’ve never got it right with forward recruitment is startling. Arteta and the Arsenal recruitment team bear sole responsibility for the Arsenal attack’s problems.

That said, a win over Inter Milan would undoubtedly have been the ideal way for Arsenal to bounce back, but they now have a must-win London derby to contend with to try and arrest our awful run of form.

Darren N

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