Arsenal exited the FA Cup in the third round against Liverpool this week. The game ended in a frustrating manner, with Arsenal having plenty of chances to win. It reached a point where one wondered how many chances they needed, as opportunity after opportunity went to waste. However, this has been the story of Arsenal's season. Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Leonardo Trossard, and Eddie Nketiah are the current options to lead the line, but none are likely to score 20 goals a season.
Last season, scoring goals wasn't a problem for Arsenal, perhaps because teams approached them differently. They were scoring goals effortlessly and played as a free-flowing team with a fluidity that was hard to stop. Unfortunately, this has not been the case this season.
As this hasn't been the case, the apparent need for a striker has become clearer. A goal-scorer would give the team another dimension, and opposition teams would have to adjust their tactics. Currently, there is no player in the Arsenal side that opposition teams fear scoring. There is no striker who frightens center-backs, no player that needs to be constantly marked in the box—nobody, as Arsenal lacks this.
From last season, where goals flowed, to this season, where they've dried up, the attacking input isn't the same. The eye test and statistics all point to Arsenal needing someone who can operate in the penalty area, getting on the end of cutbacks and crosses.
The goal-scoring problem has been an issue for Arsenal beyond this season, particularly since Pierre Aubameyang left the club—the last time Arsenal had a world-class striker and a 20-goal scorer.
Arsenal relied on Lacazette and Nketiah after Auba's departure, but they didn't have enough firepower between them to secure a top-four spot. Arsenal signed Jesus, re-signed Nketiah, and added Trossard in January last year. While goal-scoring wasn't an issue numerically, they lacked a clinical finisher in crucial moments, as seen in consecutive draws against Liverpool, West Ham, and Southampton.
Players like Vlahovic and Ivan Toney, known for goal-scoring as number nines, could be the solution for Arsenal. In March 2022, Mikel Arteta emphasized the need for 100 goals to be title contenders next season.
"To be with the top teams this season, you need to score 90 to 100 goals at least," he said. "Somehow you need those goals in the team. Don't ask me how, but you need them. They have to come. That contribution, how it's done and how possible it is to happen, you have to find the right pieces to do it. But it's non-negotiable."
Arteta clearly recognizes the importance of goal-scoring. Historically, when top teams signed a goal-scorer, it elevated them to a higher level. Arsenal must perform at their best in every game to win, but having a world-class striker could change that dynamic.