Arsenal got off to the best possible start in the league last weekend with a 2-0 win at home to Wolves. Overall, I thought it was a solid performance, Havertz scored with a tidy header, assisted by Bukayo Saka giving the Gunners the lead. Followed up with a Saka goal in the second half to secure the win. David Raya made an excellent save to keep the score at 1-0 and answered everything that was asked of him. Understandably, there was a bit of ring rust and there seemed to be a bit of nervousness building before the second goal, but the team got the job done.
Over the last few days, I’ve been thinking about Arsenal’s forward options. What worries me the most, is that we are potentially a Gabriel Jesus injury away from a noticeable drop in quality in terms of depth at both striker and on the right wing. It feels to me that Jesus is cover for both positions, which feels like a big risk. Additionally, Jesus doesn’t have the best injury record.
Read More: https://flyinghighbury.com/2024/08/my-thoughts-on-arsenal-for-the-upcoming-season/
If Gabriel Jesus were to pick up an injury, the cover for striker becomes Eddie Nketiah and the cover for the right wing becomes Reiss Nelson. Both of which have struggled to find regular minutes in the team as of late. The pair have also been linked with moves away from the Emirates this summer. I really feel that Arsenal need to bring in a forward to improve the quality of depth we have available in these areas and to raise the calibre of the team overall.
The quality of the Arsenal team has skyrocketed over the last few seasons, with the level of the starting 11 now extremely high and the quality required to be part of the squad continuously rising. Competiton for minutes is through the roof. This has resulted in many players losing their place in the first team and being moved on. Most recently fan favourite and Arsenal’s former number 10 Emile Smith-Rowe decided to join Fulham after being unable to secure regular first team football in North London.
Read More: https://flyinghighbury.com/2024/08/arsenal-have-had-a-strong-start-to-the-window-but-we-need-more-this-summer/
With how good Manchester City are and the small margins involved in deciding who wins the Premier League, I just wouldn’t feel comfortable if Nketiah or Nelson had to fill in for an extended period of time. Last season came down to just 2 points, I think it’s too big of a gamble to not bring in a forward this summer.
I keep thinking about the injuries of defenders William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu during the 22/23 season and how much of an impact it had on Arsenal’s title challenge that year. Arsenal were top of the league during the back end of the season but ended up falling away from Manchester City at the end. This was largely due to the fact that Arsenal didn’t have enough depth at the back and fringe players had to come in to the side leading to a noticeable drop in quality and proving costly in the end.
At the start of the window, I really felt that we could do with bringing in a striker. Whilst I still feel this is an area we could improve in the future; Kai has been is good form since the second half of last season and with him scoring again at the weekend, I’m not as worried as I was a few weeks ago. He seems to have found his rhythm at Arsenal, it would take an exceptional player to come in and replace him. If our main targets aren’t available right now, I would rather we wait, as I feel the more pressing issue is to bring in a winger to rotate with Saka.
Saka is a world class player and deserves to start whenever he is fit. Having said that, there have been times recently where he looks as though he needs a rest. He has even been seen limping off at the end of games. Bukayo is an integral part of the side; we need to protect him whenever we can. Adding an extra bit of quality at winger would not only give us more options during games but also reduce the chance of injuries and help Saka keep fresh throughout the season. Gabriel Jesus would then be the primary rotation with Havertz at striker, taking the strain off of the Brazilian while he finds his form.
Arsenal have already strengthened the defence this season bringing in Italian international Riccardo Califiori from Bologna and look set to bolster the midfield with Real Sociedad player and Euros winner Mikel Merino. I think it’s so important we do the same for the forward line. We need to try and bring in a player who reduces the drop in quality for when Saka isn’t available or needs a rest. Players like Gabriel Jesus who are able to play multiple positions are a real asset to the side but that can only go so far. An injury to Jesus leaves us really short in the attack and could prove costly for the season. I really feel this is an area we must strengthen in order to keep improving the team and help us go one step further this season.
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