09 January 2024 , 16:12
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Mikel Arteta has been warned he will have to remain patient as he seeks to solve Arsenal's attacking issues.
The Gunners boss has seen his side's title challenge falter amid their struggles to score in recent weeks. A move for a striker in the January window has been floated, with Brentford star Ivan Toney one of their top targets.
But while supporters and pundits believe a new forward needs to be signed this month, Arteta has been told he may have to wait. Gunners legend Alan Smith believes their struggles to score do not have a quick fix.
“When you’re knocking on the door that many times, you do feel the goals will come. When you get one or two, it doesn’t feel so difficult. It’s an amazing amount of chances they’re creating," Smith told Sky Sports News.
"But I covered the Fulham game in between the West Ham and Liverpool one when they just didn’t create anything, and that’s when you should get worried. They created some fantastic stuff against Liverpool, but couldn’t score.
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“There’s a lot of talk about a new striker but it sounds like Mikel Arteta has not got the funds to bring a significant name in. They will have to get by with what they’ve got. They’ve spent an awful amount of money in the summer and I heard they needed to sell players.
"We will see if they can do anything in January. As much as Arsenal fans would love to see a new forward in the club, that would cost them around £100m these days, which I don’t think they’ve got at the moment. It will have to be a time for patience.”
Arsenal's struggles to score were on full display on Sunday as they crashed out of the FA Cup at the hands of Liverpool. The Gunners were on top for much of the game, having 18 shots in total.
But they could not find a way past Reds keeper Alisson and were left shell-shocked by two late goals from the visitors. Gunners fans chanted for a new striker to be signed in January, though Arteta played those down.
"We didn’t take the chances, I haven’t seen any other team in the first six months that have generated what we have done against them in the last two games and we’re not capitalising - not today, in the last few games - that’s why we are not winning games," he said.
"What I beg the supporters is that they are behind the team and’ve done in difficult moments. Stick with the ones we have - they are incredibly good. If not, they don’t do what they’ve done again today, in Anfield and here.
"Stick with them, it’s exactly what they need, that we are fully behind them. Then they feel important and supported because they deserve it, with their attitude they don’t deserve anything different. That’s my opinion.
"One thing is what we need, one thing is what we can do as well, and what we need to do now is stay behind those players. They’ve done it, we’re not going to invent or reinvent the wheel because they have done it."