Wednesday’s 3-1 win But Brentford New Year’s Day was uneventful. Manager Mikel Arteta has said that there is no solution to be found. Bukayo Saka — Sidelined until March after hamstring surgery. –will start internally and he teases something surprising here by handing over to the teenager. Ethan Nwaneri His first league start was in Saka’s usual right-back position.
It was encouraging that Nwaneri looked poised beyond his years and had a hand in both of Arsenal’s second-half goals. Gabriel Jesus And Gabriel MartinelliHis dual presence on the scoresheet will encourage those who believe the Gunners have plenty of firepower to hunt down. Liverpool.
After all, they cut the gap to six points at the top without Saka and Kai Howertzwho was out due to a virus which Arteta admitted had affected a number of players in the build-up. Havertz was sent home to isolate and is expected to be available for Saturday’s trip. Brighton and Hove Albion.
And yet, there remains a nagging feeling that Arsenal may need a little more if they are to achieve their publicly stated goal of adding major trophies to five years of steady progress under Arteta. .
“We have broken a lot of records but the reality is that this team has not had the big titles that we are looking for,” he said before kick-off here, while the pressure on the club to deliver results. Reduces January market, this desire among supporters is bubbling under the surface and has been, in fact, since the summer.
Sources have told ESPN that senior figures at the club came to the conclusion after him. UEFA Champions League Quarter-final exit Bayern Munich That they needed a winger or central striker to bolster their attacking options was later identified. Benjamin Cisco But RB Leipzig as their preferred choice.
Leipzig moved quickly to sign Sisko to a new contract and Arsenal opted to keep their powder dry in the belief that no ideal replacement was available. Liverpool’s dominance of the top flight is under constant scrutiny and the Gunners will face the same conundrum again this month, with some fans pushing for the winger and others suggesting the clinical finisher should be the preferred acquisition.
However, it is something the club has little time to ponder after recovering from going down a goal inside 13 minutes at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Michael Damsgaard found Brian Mbiomu In space and such Ricardo Calafiori Excited to step back, Mbeumo had time to line up a shot that beat the goalkeeper David Raya At your nearest post. Mbeumo’s effort was expertly placed but lacked the terrific pace that absolved Raya of any responsibility.
Arsenal looked a little flat but picked themselves up afterwards. Mark Fleckin Could only defeat. Thomas PartyJesus was shot in the 29th minute, before going in for the rebound. Michael Merino Brentford failed to clear five minutes into the second half after Nwaneri’s corner was turned home.
Three minutes later, another Nwaneri delivery caused problems Nathan Collins Only Martinelli could get the ball to Martinelli and he fired a fine shot past Flicken.
The signs of revival in both Martinelli and Jesus come at an opportune moment. Jesus has scored six goals in four games after a deeply troubling run of one goal in 33 games. Martinelli now has three in his last four league away games after one run in his last 26 on the road.
“Very good timing — both of them are really important,” Arteta said.
“Sharing goals is a big strength of our team. We did it again today, scoring in three very different ways. Great, that’s what we need. The guys up front need to shoot and that’s what we need. It should be with the feeling that they are with the same feeling at the moment.”
It would be unfair and unrealistic to ask Nwaneri — on the fourth senior start of his fledgling career — to replicate Saka’s remarkably consistent creative output, especially given the wide right is not a position he is in. Skilled at the youth level.
But his performance here against a weaker Brentford side, yet to keep a clean sheet at home in the league this season, offered enough to suggest it is worth further exploration.
“In this position it wasn’t because of a bug, it was a decision I made. [to start Nwaneri] Because I thought he was the best player in the position to start the game,” Arteta said.
“And because there was a story here with his debut in the Premier League and sometimes that feeling comes and you think it’s right and then who knows?
“Part of that development is patience and managing frustration or managing expectations because you expect everything to go as fast as the previous things and it doesn’t. So we’re building it now. They already are.” He’s played a lot of minutes. We’ve got him with his age and he fully deserves it.”
And with Leandro Trossard Only needed as a late substitute, Arteta may feel he has enough for four matches coming thick and fast.
The availability of preferred targets will inevitably be a factor in January, but Arsenal will soon need to decide whether they need to brave the market they need or miss nearly two years to overtake the current group. After arriving, take yourself to the line.
Asked if Arsenal’s squad lacked options under the circumstances, Arteta replied: “When I see everyone’s willingness to play through anything and the ability we think we can create Can, then the answer is no.
“But we don’t know for sure if anything else happens, we’ll have more problems, hopefully not, hopefully people will come back. We need everybody.”