After Arsenal dropped points once again, this time to Fulham, the Gunners are sat six points behind Liverpool, having played a game more. In the defeat at Craven Cottage, Arsenal only created 0.30 xG from open play, in a rather lackluster afternoon where their threat mainly came from set pieces once again.
In recent times, it appears Arsenal are relying on set-pieces as their best route to goal, which has been working, but outside of Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka's pinpoint deliveries, they have been offering little else. This lack of creativity could, in part, be down to a lack of a true number nine, with Kai Havertz doing very little in and around the penalty area. If the Gunners are to finally life the Premier League title once again, they should look to buy a new, out-and-out striker that they can rely on for goals.
Kai Havertz Poor Performances
The German isn't doing enough.
Kai Havertz celebrates a goal against PSG in the Champions League
After joining Arsenal from Chelsea in 2023, a lot of eyebrows were raised. Havertz didn't really know his best position at Chelsea, and this still remains the case at Arsenal. A technically sound player, who isn't a midfielder or a striker, it was unknown where he would fit in under Mikel Arteta.
Havertz, who earns £220k-a-week at the Emirates Stadium, netted 13 league goals during his first year with Arsenal, as they once again finished second to Man City, which was a good tally, but probably not enough for a team who want to win silverware. After not signing a striker in the summer window, it appeared Arteta was putting faith in Havertz to lead them to glory, something which many fans didn't agree with.
Now in December, Arsenal are getting cut adrift in the title race, and Havertz has just five league goals, with just one in his last eight games. If the Gunners are to overturn Liverpool's mighty lead at the top of the table, they will certainly need to create more chances from open play, and find a striker who can hit the back of the net on a frequent basis.
Described by Football London as offering non-existent movement for much of the match, Kai Havertz has to do more at the top of the field for Arsenal. After competing for a number of years now, it is about time the Gunners won the league, and there is a lot of pressure on Havertz to help deliver that.
Potential Replacements
Viktor Gyokeres could solve their problems.
Viktor Gyokeres celebrates for Sporting CP
If Arsenal's aspirations about winning the league are serious, they must enter the transfer market and spend some serious money. If they are to do this, then there is only one man who they should look to, and that is Swedish forward Viktor Gyokeres. The Sporting Lisbon striker has been sensational for a number of seasons, first with Coventry in the Championship and now in Portugal.
With a ridiculous 29 league goals in his first season in Portugal during the 2023/24 campaign, Gyokeres, who has been described as 'world-class', certainly knows where the back of the net is. The Swedish attacker is the perfect striker, with electric pace, great strength, and lethal in front of goal, which would make him ideal for Arsenal. A very similar player to Erling Haaland, Gyokeres would be an almost guaranteed success in the Premier League, and may well be the difference between a league title, and another dissapointing season in North London.
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