Fans of Arsenal Football Club have endured a long period without celebrating a league title. The club has gone two decades without lifting the English premier league despite coming so close on several occasions.
Gunners, as they are fondly called by supporters have finished as runner’s up in the last two seasons to eventual winners, Manchester City, coming so close to clinching the league title on both occasions.
Supporters of the club had high hopes going into the current campaign having come so close in successive seasons, they hope this is the season luck finally smiles on them. But sadly, that hope seems to be falling apart as the club has lost a few points and sits precariously far on the league log.
Arteta is the man at the helm of affairs. He is the manager of the club with the responsibility of bringing the league title back to the London-based club. Since his appointment as the coach of the club, Arteta has brought some measures of hope back to the club.
He has won the F.A and English Super Cups since taking over as the coach of Arsenal. Aside from winning trophies, the club now plays in their signature pattern of play which is a joy to watch to fans.
Mikel Arteta learnt his craft from Pep Guardiola who has won so many trophies as a coach. So, it is understandable for the Gunners to find him worthy of bringing back the good old days back the club.
However, for Mikel Arteta to stand any chance of defeating his mentor and other top premier league clubs to win the title, he needs to sign a world-class striker capable of delivering great performances when needed.
Arteta’s Team Set Up
In the twilight of his career, Arteta played for Arsenal under the club’s iconic manager Arsene Wenger. He learnt a lot as a player under the French tactician before teaming up with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City where he mastered his craft as a coach.
So, as a coach, his team set-up is quite similar to the Arsenal F.C. of old but more effective like the current Manchester City team. This is why the team have been competitive in the past few seasons.
Also read: Ranking the 10 best football Coaches of the last two decades
However, the club has not had a prolific striker since the departure of Emerick Aubameyang. The club has played with either false nine or strikers who are not on pals with what’s obtainable in other top clubs.
This is perhaps Arteta’s Achilles heels. When the Spanish coach took over the reign at Arsenal, the club had elite strikers like Lacazet and Aubameyang but the coach soon fell off with the strikers and they left the club.
Arteta’s Signings at Arsenal F.C
Since the departure of Aubameyang, the club has been looking to sign a world-class striker who understands the club’s philosophy and is motivated enough to compete for titles. Arteta signed Gabriel Jesus, having worked with the Brazilian at Manchester City.
The Brazilian fits into the club’s philosophy but doesn’t quite tick all the boxes of a world of a world striker. He is skilful, good on the ball, and impressive in link play with his teammates but lacks the most important skill set of a striker. He is not a great finisher.
He Once admitted during an interview that “scoring goals is not my greatest strength” and for a team to compete for the premier league title, they need a striker who can score lots of goals.
After a season with Gabriel Jesus as the main striker at Arsenal, Arteta was convinced he would need a better striker than the Brazilian to compete for the league title.
Next was Kai Hervatz. Arsenal brought in the German player to consolidate their attack but Hervertz has barely proven to be an upgrade on Gabriel Jesus. He is a false nine at best who lacks the poaching instinct of an out-and-out striker.
Like Gabriel, the German striker is not physically strong enough to pass as an elite striker. He lacks the aggression to unbalance the opposition’s defense and he is often seen trying to avoid physical confrontations with opponents.
To succeed in EPL, which is one of the most physically demanding leagues in the world, one has to be physically fit and be at the top of his game at all times. With the frail strikers currently at the disposal of Arsenal, the club would need to perform extraordinarily to win the English premier league.
Why Arsenal May not win the league
It is a popular fact that attacks and goals win league titles. A great defence and compact team set-up might win competitions like the Champions League and domestic cups, but to win the league, a team needs to score lots of goals which is a function of great attack.
Rival clubs like Manchester City have a world-class striker and attack like Earling Haaland, Bernaldo Silver, Doku, Phil Foden and Kelvin Debruyn. This attack is capable of scoring many goals and this explains why they’ve won the league titles on many occasions.
Another elite club proving to be a contender for the top prize this season is Liverpool FC. After almost a decade at the club, Jurgen Klopp bid farewell to supporters at the end of the 2023/24 league campaign, citing he was out of gas.
The club brought in Arne Slot to lead the team this season and the Dutch tactician is proving to be a bargain. Liverpool currently boasts arguably the fiercest attack in the league this season. The attack, which is headed by Mohamed Salah has shown so far that it means business this season.
Arsenal need to sign a world-class striker to compete for the league titles. There are not so many strikers available currently, the club scouts would need to embark on a painstaking search to spot a budding world-class striker for the club to nurture.
If this is achieved, then the club can compete for the league title again and possibly win the league title that has remained elusive for almost two decades.
