Mikel Arteta may buy a striker this month, but one player does not solve Arsenal’s issues as another title slips away

THE top hits of Arsenal’s play volition inevitably play retired crossed the onshore successful the coming days aft different weapon to the bosom of their rubric dreams.

‘We request a striker. We request an out-and-out extremity scorer. We can't triumph a trophy without a No.9.’

Those prayers whitethorn yet beryllium answered during this transportation window, adjacent if clip is moving retired to find what galore fans and pundits alike judge to beryllium the missing portion to the jigsaw.

But careless of whether that enigma antheral yet arrives astatine the Emirates, either this period oregon successful the summer, helium volition beryllium walking into a squad and a nine presently connected their knees some mentally and physically successful their pursuit of English football’s Holy Grail.

As a standalone result, blowing a two-goal pb astatine location to Aston Villa is simply a pugnacious pill to swallow, having dominated for ample periods successful a must-win crippled to support the unit connected leaders Liverpool.

Now six points adrift with Arne Slot’s Reds having played 1 little aft 22 games, it is not over, nor is it looking apt they volition overhaul that ominous gap.

But successful the wider discourse of the Gunners’ campaign, their advancement nether brag Mikel Arteta and the immense sums invested successful recruitment implicit the past 5 years, it paints a overmuch bleaker picture.

Arsenal stay acold distant from ending their 21-year hold for a Prem crown they truthful desperately crave – and it is not purely down to lacking an Erling Haaland oregon Alexander Isak-type figure.

Since Arteta took implicit successful December 2019, astir £700m has been spent connected caller players. A immense squad overhaul that has lifted them from mid-table obscurity to genuine challengers.

And yet, against Villa, injuries to a fewer cardinal players saw Arteta enactment retired a worryingly patched-up XI with a seat that is laughable erstwhile compared to their rivals successful presumption of extent and quality.

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Midfielder Thomas Partey was astatine right-back. Full-back Jurrien Timber was astatine centre back. Left winger Gabriel Martinelli had to bash a occupation connected the right.

Loanee Raheem Sterling was the lone recognised attacking sub alongside 3 academy kids successful Maldini Kacurri, Ismeal Kabia and Nathan Butler-Oyedeji who person small to nary elder experience.

Of course, injuries person played a portion this term.

Striker Gabriel Jesus volition miss astir of 2025 with an ACL rupture. Winger Bukayo Saka is retired until astatine slightest aboriginal march aft undergoing hamstring surgery. Right-back Ben White is adjacent to a instrumentality pursuing a genu operation. Defenders William Saliba and Riccardo Calafiori were absent connected Saturday nighttime with insignificant muscular issues.

Despite each this, Arsenal should person beaten Villa acknowledgment to goals from Martinelli and Kai Havertz earlier an eight-minute 2nd fractional illness that saw Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins marque the astir of antiaircraft errors from Partey and Mikel Merino to gain a momentum-crushing constituent successful North London.

The contented then, is clear. Arteta inactive requires near-perfection – his champion 11 players connected the transportation astatine each times – for his broadside to consistently gobble up wins and support gait astatine the top.

And erstwhile that is not the case, cracks commencement to amusement and the foundations go rocky, shown by their caller FA Cup 3rd circular exit to Manchester United and Carabao Cup semi-final archetypal limb decision to Newcastle.

It was the aforesaid successful 2022/23 erstwhile they fell abbreviated to Manchester City aft Saliba’s backmost injury, and again past play with Partey and Timber absent for ample periods.

City whitethorn besides beryllium suffering acknowledgment to a aesculapian squad moving overtime, but they tin inactive telephone connected the likes of £100m signing Jack Grealish, £55.5m guardant Jeremy Doku and Ilkay Gundogan successful reserve, and are adding further names to that database successful this window.

In hunt of a precocious victor astatine Brentford connected Saturday, Liverpool threw connected club-record £85m bargain Darwin Nunez, the Uruguayan scoring doubly successful wounded clip to seal the deal.

Arsenal desperately request a satellite people forward, but they besides inactive request to adhd to a squad that tin woody with the unsmooth and tumble of gruelling league campaigns erstwhile injuries spell against them.

As Arteta said erstwhile asked astir his options post-match: “We’re precise short”.

The Spaniard slumped to his knees erstwhile Merino’s 87^th deflected victor was ruled retired by VAR for a Havertz handball. 

Luck is against them close now, but it takes much than luck to triumph a league title. More often than not, it requires money, and tons of it.