**By Danong**
**Last summer, Arsenal secured one of the deadliest strikers in Europe, signing the red-hot Viktor Gyokeres.**
**The Swede arrived fresh from a brilliant 2024-25 campaign. He scored 54 goals in 52 games. These impressive numbers had Arsenal convinced they had finally solved their goalscoring struggles.**
**Yet despite his 18 goals in 46 games, some Gooners feel the attack is not performing at the level it should. The frontline is still misfiring, and things have not improved as expected.**
**So, what do Arsenal need to unlock an efficient attack? The obvious recommendation is for them to sign a dangerous left-winger, and maybe bring in another striker.**
**But none of that may work if Mikel Arteta fails to address one fundamental issue: his midfield.**
**Arteta wants a midfield built around a number six and two eights. But in constructing that unit, he has erred on the defensive side.**
**When fully fit, Arteta's preferred midfield trio is Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, and Martin Zubimendi.**
**Zubimendi is a natural six, but so is Rice. The Englishman himself once admitted as much to TNT Sports, via the Metro:**
**"I think my best position is probably as a number 6. My biggest strength is breaking up the play and taking the ball from deep. I do get excited when I play number 8, though. I get to show the other side of my game. I didn't stop running tonight!"**
**With both Rice and Zubimendi most comfortable as sixes, the tactical solution is clear: Arteta must be bold enough to settle on just one of them in that role.**
**Playing Rice alongside Zubimendi, without the attacking full-backs that teams like PSG and Bayern Munich have, certainly suffocates Arsenal's creative play.**
**But should Arteta commit to one holding midfielder, the Gunners would have fewer creativity issues. This is particularly true if two natural tens were deployed as the eights.**
**Arsenal's ambition has long been to surpass Manchester City, but in doing so, they have overlooked an obvious tactical set-up. The Rodri–Bernardo Silva–Kevin De Bruyne midfield should have served as the blueprint for the Gunners' rebuild in the post-Granit Xhaka LCM era.**
**Instead, they have played two defensive midfielders with just Odegaard as the ten. This setup has further suffocated Arsenal's creativity and forced the team to prioritise caution above all else.**
**Looking at the current squad, Arteta has four defensive midfielders in Rice, Zubimendi, Cristian Norgaard, and Mikel Merino, with just two number tens in Eberechi Eze and Odegaard. The balance is skewed, and it is showing.**
**Arsenal must reshape their midfield. With their world-class centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, they can play one holding midfielder and two number tens without being exposed defensively.**
**Reverting to such a system would help this Arsenal side generate more chances. This approach would give them a greater opportunity to win games with the ruthlessness they crave.**
**It may take time and sacrifice to perfect this tactical approach. But if Arsenal are serious about developing that fear factor, it could be worth it.**