Mikel Arteta is short of quality options up top and it was evident in Arsenal’s FA Cup Third Round defeat against rivals Manchester United.
Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring for United in the 52nd minute however defender Gabriel Magalhaes scored an important equaliser in the 63rd minute.
Following a 1-1 draw during regulation time, extra time and penalties were required to decide matters. Unfortunately for the Gunners, luck was not on their side as they lost 5–3 in the penalty shootout.
What made the result all the more disappointing was the fact that Arteta’s side had an extra player on the field for almost half the match after Diogo Dalot was sent off just after the hour mark.
The result has caused some uproar from Arsenal supporters – with one change a necessity in their eyes.
Arsenal fans call for new attacking signings
Despite having 70% of the possession at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon, the Gunners looked underwhelmingly blunt in attack.
Arsenal took a total of 26 shots at goal during the 120 minutes of football and only had a solitary goal to show for their efforts.
It was also an evening to forget for Kai Havertz who squandered a number of good opportunities in front of goal.
It’s no surprise that Gunners fans are calling for reinforcements in attack. One fan said via X: “We have lost confidence… Havertz and Odegaard especially appear worse. We lost Jesus as well as if our injuries are not enough. We need to buy 2 forwards in this window – It’s a must now.”
Another fan believes the club’s entire transfer policy needs to be revised: “I’m sorry but Arsenal need to change their transfer policy to compete now.
“We have a great academy and we bring some good players through, but it’s time to break the bank. Beginning of the season we were all SCREAMING for a striker. We sign a decent player but a defender?”
“This loss could be a blessing in disguise. Force the club to sign players. We are crying out for an injection of new talent to drag us out of this post-Saka slump!” another fan added.
Theo Walcott joins calls for new recruitments
Former Arsenal star Theo Walcott believes Arteta has to dip into the transfer market if he has any hopes of lifting a trophy this season.
Speaking to BBC One following the game, Walcott said: “It’s like everyone else has said before, Arsenal need a striker at this moment at this time because it would have been a completely different story.”
Walcott also believes Arsenal need to sign a player like him to help their strikers. With this, the Gunners will need to choose wisely who they bring in as they need an immediate lift.
A deal for Nico Williams looks complicated right now, however, an out-of-favour Manchester United striker could be just what Arteta needs!
Arsenal have made contact with Marcus Rashford over a move to the club, and a potential deal now rests in United’s hands.
It remains to be seen whether the club will manage to sign a top-quality striker or not, however, one thing that’s clear after their FA Cup loss is that their current attackers are unlikely to win them trophies.
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