It was always anticipated that Arsenal wouldn’t do a lot of work in the January transfer window, but it’s becoming clear that some inspiration is needed.
Arsenal have recorded back-to-back 0-0 draws for the first time since 2012 in the Premier League.
The most recent draw against Nottingham Forest was particularly frustrating, as once again, Arsenal fluffed their lines when attempting to extend their lead over Manchester City.
Defensively, Arsenal are near-perfect, but in attack, there are so many issues, with one statistic revealing the problem Mikel Arteta has to crack.
Arsenal’s attacking form is turning into a huge issue for Mikel Arteta
Arsenal’s attack underperformed massively against Forest, which raised questions about the actual level of quality Arteta has going forward.
The questions are viable, as alarmingly, the majority of Arsenal’s forwards are currently underperforming when it comes to scoring goals.
If you were Mikel Arteta, how would you solve this problem?
Since Arsenal’s win over Aston Villa on matchday 19, none of Arteta’s attacking players have scored in the Premier League.
From matchday 20 to 22, the Gunners have scored just three goals, coming from Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhaes.
The number of games it’s been since Arsenal’s attackers last scored is very alarming, particularly for the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke, who haven’t found the net in as many as 13 Premier League games.
The output really isn’t good enough, and while there’s more to the story – enter the debate regarding conservative tactics – Arsenal need to find a solution.
What’s frustrating is that Arsenal have a plethora of attacking options, but right now, no one is in particularly good form, which could have been resolved earlier this month.
Andrea Berta should have signed Antoine Semenyo
At a time when Arsenal are fighting for the Premier League title with a squad of underperforming forwards, Andrea Berta had the chance to shake things up.
Antoine Semenyo was available, but Manchester City won the race, and lo and behold, Pep Guardiola’s attack has a fresh dimension.
What player does Andrea Berta sign next to improve this list?
Since making the move to Man City only nine days ago, Semenyo has contributed to three goals for Arsenal’s rivals, rising to the challenge seamlessly.
It could have been Arteta’s side who benefited, particularly as Semenyo wanted to sign for Arsenal, but Berta opted to wait until the summer, which is no longer an option.
All hope is not lost, as Semenyo is just an example of what a mid-season signing can offer, but surely, Berta should be tempted to scour the market for another attacker to get Arsenal out of this rut.
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