Liverpool showed their class at Anfield in the Premier League and although Arsenal managed the game well in the first 45, they conceded an extremely preventable goal and although this was always going to be a massive test against this level of opposition, the lack of potency from their primary striker, Aubameyang, was evident.
In the second half, Liverpool went up a gear and were certainly a cut above Arsenal in just about every way possible. During this dominance which lasted at least 80 minutes of the entire match, it became abundantly clear that the Gunners offered no threat and subsequently, the continuous pressure of Klopp’s side who were keen to make up for the mishap against West Ham.
Poor passing, stray passes and the inability to relieve the pressure by mounting an attack resulted in a comprehensive win for their hosts that many found difficult to swallow. That lack of threat was once again down to poor service, but also the inability of the two-star strikers to create anything worthy of note.
Lacazette had recently reinvented himself with a decent run of form, but he was anonymous here and Aubameyang continues his role as a captain in arm-band only and seems completely unable to keep himself onside. Forget this season, next season Arsenal requires a penetrative and predatory striker which could see Pepe, Aubameyang and Lacazette leave by the summer of 2022.
The key goals Aubameyang delivered a few years ago are a thing of the past and although Lacazette has certainly performed well in the odd game, he will not provide 20 goals per season and he offered absolutely nothing at the top of the pitch against Liverpool. Arsenal need to act reasonably fast to keep pace with the top six in January and either find one or two prolific strikers or promote from within their own ranks, but the latter is a huge gamble.
This Arsenal side is far from the finished article, but it has shown over the ten games unbeaten that it has potential and spirit. However, to compete with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City, it needs a sharp strike force with alternatives to meet the challenges presented by the opposition.
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In truth, Arsenal had the attack of a championship side and although they defended manfully, they were never at the races. As Liverpool swept forward, you felt it was only a matter of time before they gained the advantage and momentum, yet in reply, Arsenal lost the ball too often and couldn’t fashion a clear cut chance. As the game wore on, I thought that the only legitimate way Arsenal would score a goal was from a free-kick, corner or penalty, all of which became less likely as the clock ran down.
Here are the harsh facts, Gooners:
- Lacazette needs to move on in January. Since his cameo in recent games, he was exposed against Liverpool and offered nothing.
- Aubameyang is far too inconsistent and needs to be moved on. His judgement is now in question and his form wavers alarmingly.
- Pepe needs to either change roles or move on for his own sake. He has had limited opportunities but there is a player in there.
- Nketiah isn’t what we need, he scores goals but I’m not convinced.
- Balogun needs a loan spell and regular minutes to sharpen his eye to replicate his under-23 form.
- Martinelli hasn’t looked anywhere near his best since coming back from injury and hasn’t been convincing when given the chance.
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All this means that Arsenal need to find one striker who can terrorise defences with blistering pace and instinctive intelligence. A striker that can lead the line with conviction, but one that is also capable of improvising in the Henry mould. That’s not going to be cheap and I’d expect the price to eclipse that of Nicolas Pepe. A new striker is a priority for Arsenal.
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