It would be fascinating to gain an insight into Andrea Berta’s thoughts during Arsenal’s defeat to Manchester United.
Arsenal’s sporting director has not been active in the January transfer window, but he might want to be after the Gunners’ gruesome defeat to Man United.
Mikel Arteta’s side lost 3-2 to their rivals at the Emirates, leaving their lead at the top of the Premier League table at just four points.
It’s been a testing few weeks for the North Londoners, with tensions rising after the loss to the Red Devils, a match that exposed Arsenal’s attacking flaws.
You can send Mikel Arteta one message after Man Utd defeat, what is it?
Andrea Berta would’ve been embarrassed by Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres’ roles in Arsenal vs Man United
Arsenal lacked so much creativity against United, managing to record only four shots on target when the need to win was greater than ever.
After back-to-back 0-0 draws in the Premier League, it was assumed that Arsenal would fly out of the blocks to prove a point against United, but that was far from the case.
For starters, Arteta benched Viktor Gyokeres in favour of Gabriel Jesus, which proved to be a mistake as the Gunners missed the Swede’s presence.
The decision not only impacted Arsenal’s attacking shape but also Berta’s ego in the stands, as the sporting director would’ve felt rather embarrassed upon reading the team sheets.
Both of Berta’s summer striker targets at Arsenal, Benjamin Sesko and Gyokeres, were benched for their respective clubs, showing how disappointing the two transfers have been.
The fact that Berta shortlisted Sesko and Gyokeres out of a group of strikers was alarming, even more so against United, as both players played substitute roles.
Gyokeres got 32 minutes on the pitch and recorded one shot on goal, while Sesko came on with nine minutes to go, recording no shots and only three touches.
For Berta, it became clearer than ever that his two shortlisted strikers are way below the level required in the Premier League, with no harsher reminder than seeing the two forwards benched.
Arsenal are experiencing a crisis in attack
Admittedly, Gyokeres’ role in Arsenal’s defeat is the least of Berta’s concerns.
The sporting director must already be bracing himself for a busy summer in the transfer window when it comes to improving Arsenal’s front line.
Be honest, how many ELITE forwards do Arsenal actually have?
The numbers say it all, as against United, own goals moved up to second in the list of Arsenal’s top scorers in the Premier League this season, with four.
Arsenal’s misfiring in attack is not sustainable, contrary to what the table suggests, as we are starting to see the repercussions of housing a plethora of good, but not world-class, forwards.
Berta will have his work cut out in the summer, there’s no doubt about it, but will he be strengthening a title-winning squad?
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
