Arsenal have not won any of their last three competitive games. There was even an embarrassing 1-0 defeat against Everton, who were threatened with relegation. Manchester City, the closest contenders for the Premier League crown, were allowed to come within a narrow three points.
Missed winter transfers?
Already during the phenomenal first half of the season at Arsenal it was clear: if you want to be at the top of the table at the end of the season, you urgently need to strengthen the squad, which is already working at the limit of its performance. A trump card that City in particular was able to play in the past championship fights. At Arsenal there was a particular need in midfield and on the left wing.
However, after the targeted commitments of top talent Mykhaylo Mudryk (22) and midfield youngster Moisés Caicedo (21) fell victim to Chelsea’s new financial strength and Brighton & Hove Albion’s stubbornness, the Londoners had to resort to Jorginho’s B solutions (31) and Leandro Trossard (26). Both bring class and experience, but they lack the physicality of the two ideal players. Mudryk comes along at an incredible pace, while Caicedo has made a name for himself as an uncompromising worker.
Head coach Mikel Arteta must somehow try to let the squad perform like in the first half of the season. And high-profile signings certainly wouldn’t have hurt, as a telling statistic shows: The Gunners make the fewest changes to their starting XI of any team in England’s top flight. Arteta didn’t want to be persuaded that he was dissatisfied after the recent 1-1 draw against FC Brentford: “With the players we have, we’re trying to maximize our resources.”
Who should score the goals?
Top striker Gabriel Jesus (12 goals) has been out for some time with a knee injury. But they wanted to close the resulting gap from within their own ranks. Homegrown Eddie Nketiah (23) initially did well, even scoring a brace against Manchester United (3-2). In the past three games, however, the Englishman was not involved in a goal and – like the entire Gunners offensive – acted too harmlessly. The question of why no additional man was brought in for the storm center is therefore quite appropriate.
Whether the point haul from the past games with Mudryk, Caicedo and Co. in the luggage looks better cannot be finally judged. In the end, however, after a transfer window that didn’t exactly go optimally, there was the first crisis of the season. On Wednesday (8:30 p.m.) it will be seen whether Arsenal is still up to the championship race, then it is at home against the Citizens.
