If ever there was a game that made it abundantly clear what Arsenal need to do in the transfer market between now and the end of the month it was the one we witnessed against Newcastle last night.
On chances, it was a game Arsenal should have won. Quite comfortably in fact. But in the end it was one they lost with a bit of a whimper.
Why? Because Mikel Arteta’s wasteful side could have played for hours without scoring one of the many opportunities that fell for them during the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, while at the other end Newcastle – and Alexander Isak in particular- gave them a lesson in finishing.
MAJOR Arsenal shock exit now can’t be ruled out!
Arteta bemoaned his side’s wastefulness after the 2-0 defeat. “If you look at what both teams produced, it’s not a result that reflects the story of the game. But the reality is that they were super efficient with the chances that they had and we weren’t.”
The fact is though that this is nothing new. It’s the story of the season for Arsenal. Yes, they have scored plenty of goals and produced some big wins. But there have also now been 13 games in all competitions where they have scored just one goal in a game or failed to score altogether. That’s 13 games out of 30, just under half.
That just isn’t good enough and paints a clear picture about the inefficiency of the squad. They clearly lack players with that killer instinct in front of goal.
Newcastle have one in Isak. Arsenal don’t. It’s as simple as that. Isak showed everyone exactly what Arsenal are missing and it was impossible to ignore.
Opta stats showed that Arsenal closed the first leg of the semi-final with 3.12 expected goals, that’s the highest figure a Premier League side has registered this season in a game in which they have failed to score.
Simply put, if Arsenal had an Isak in their side last night, they would have one foot in the final right now. Instead they are facing up to a painful semi-final exit and more questions about why they haven’t done more to add to their attack.
The need for at least one new attacking option is clear for all to see and if they don’t find one in this January transfer window, it’s very hard to see them being able to go on and claim the silverware that the manager, the players and the supporters crave.
You have to be clinical when the big moments arrive in big games. If you are not, then you will end up with nothing.
Arsenal took a big gamble in the summer when they resisted the urge to spend any money on their attack. When Benjamin Sesko said no to them they had plenty of time to go for other options. But they decided to keep their money and to go again with what they already had, aside from the last minute addition of Raheem Sterling on loan of course.
It’s a gamble that has clearly backfired.
With three weeks of January window still remaining they do have a chance to at least try and right the wrongs of the summer. If they don’t take that chance, it’s tough to see them having enough to get themselves over the line in any of the competitions they still have eyes on.
For my full column on the Daily Briefing, click here!
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