Arsenal Team Set-Up and Why They need a good Striker to win the league

• Why Arsenal Need a Good Striker
• Arsenal’s Team Set-up and Formation
• Arsenal’s attack set up
• Who Arsenal Should Sign

Arsenal’s search for the Premier League title in the past twenty years has all ended in futility. The club have seen several managers come and go without any luck winning the league title. The North London club last won the League in 2003 when club legend Arsene Wenger guided his team of invisibles to the league title.

Since then, the club haven’t had the luck of winning the league title, coming second on several occasions. The Onus of bringing smiles back on the faces of the gunners now lies on the shoulders of Mikel Arteta.

The Spaniard has proven that he has what it takes to win the league title if provided with the necessary support. He has guided his wards to second place finish in the last two campaigns, only missing out with a slight point margin to eventual winner Manchester City on both occasions.

Arteta undoubtedly has the tactical prowess to compete for the league title but the Spaniard would definitely need more than tactics to win the league. He needs to assemble players with good qualities in every position.

One might argue that the Gunners currently have enough quality to win the league highlighting world-class players like Saliba in defence, Odegard and Declan Rice in midfield and Saka in attack. This is a valid argument.

The team currently boasts enough quality but lacks a 20-league goal striker. Teams that have emerged winners of the EPL in the past twenty years all have strikers who scored at least 20 league goals with the exception of a few occasions.

To win the league, a team must have at least one striker who is competing for the Golden Boot and Hervertz and Gabriel Jesus don’t seem like one. These strikers lack the agility and aggression a striker needs to excel in the EPL.

Arsenal’s team Set Up and Formation

Mikel Arteta is known to favour the 4-3-3 formation. He prefers to build up play from the defence. This is why the goalkeeper Raya rarely shoots the ball to the opposition half from his goal area. The team build up play gradually from the back.

Play goes thus, from the Goalkeeper to the defenders, usually the fullbacks who then play to the midfielder. The midfield players are usually Declan Rice, Thomas Partey and Odegard. These play short passes among themselves and move the ball wide to either left or right, trying to find their wingers.

The preferred wingers used to be Saka on the right side and Martinelli on the left but since Trossard made the move to the club from Brighton, the team selection has become competitive and unpredictable.

Arsenal Attack Set-Up

Saka is probably the most important player among the club’s marksmen. The Englishman is a graduate of the club’s academy and he knows the importance of representing the club. The left-footer plays an inverted role at the right wing, cutting inside the box to either shoot or find his strikers with good weighted crosses.

On the right side, Arteta has two dependable right-footed wingers Gabriel Martinelli and Trossard. The wingers play inverted roles and usually cut through to the opponent’s goal either to shoot or make crosses to waiting strikers who are usually Kai Hervertz or Gabriel Jesus.

Why Arsenal Need a New Striker

The wingers seem to execute the team’s game plan effectively but the strikers have repeatedly fallen short of performance and have been found wanting on several occasions.

To excel in EPL, strikers are expected to possess some attributes like height, pace, agility, bravery, a good sense of positioning and the ability to read the game. Hervertz and Jesus possess some of these qualities but lack the physicality to compete against defenders.

Also read: Who would win the 2024/2025 English Premier League Season?

These strikers have shown to lack the bravery to make body contact with opposing defenders countless times and it has cost the team vital points.

Who should Arsenal Sign?

There are a handful of players who have the required pedigree to excel at the North London club. The club need big names and proven talents to man their attack. Players like Victor Osimhen, Gyokeres, or Isak would be a good addition to the team.

Victor Osimhen is currently plying his trade on loan with Galatasary after enduring some fractious relationship with his parent club Napoli. The Nigerian international has shown to have a soft spot for Chelsea but with the deal in place, Arsenal could land the prolific striker.

Gyokeres is currently taking Europe by storm with his impressive performance at Sporting Lisbon. He is shown to be bigger than the Portuguese league and ready for a challenge at any top European league.

He is rumored to likely link up with his former manager at Manchester United but there is no evidence about the veracity of such news. Arteta needs a striker like Gyokeres for the Gunners to mount a concrete title challenge.

Another striker who is making waves and deserves a move to a top club like the Gunners is Alexander Isak. The Swede international has impressed since moving to the Premier League from La Liga.

Isak with little or no time to adapt to the Arsenal team since he already plies his trade in the EPL. Arteta needs to break the bank to sign a proven striker for Arsenal to stand a chance of winning the EPL title after 20 years of trying with no luck.

Arteta’s Man-management flaws

The Spaniard has shown in the past that he cannot manage big players. His management of former star players like Aubameyang and Lacazette is evidence. The coach needs to improve in his man-management, only then would he be able to accommodate big players who help the club in its quest to finish top of the league.

Every team needs players with character and self-confidence. These players have shown to be important in the team’s title push. There are some games where the coach’s tactics and game plan fail. Players with egos and big characters usually grind out results in such games.

Arteta must outgrow his timidity and improve his man-management skills to help the Gunners with the league title.