Arsenal: 4 solutions to Eddie Nketiah striker problem

What are Arsenal going to do? These cup matches are always excellent opportunities to hand minutes to those on the fringes, yet they also throw up a number of questions yet to be answered.

It was another enjoyable evening for Arsenal, making it three on the spin. The 5-1 win over Sunderland followed two solid Premier League victories over West Ham and Leeds to extend the smiles heading into Christmas.

While the table is affected by the postponed matches elsewhere, Arsenal will sit in the top four on Christmas Day for the first time since 2016 and also have a Carabao Cup semi-final to look forward to, one that may be played over a single leg.

Seeing Charlie Patino mark his debut with a goal was the icing on a festive cake, while Nicolas Pepe also showed some of his finer qualities with two assists and a goal.

Arsenal: 4 solutions to Eddie Nketiah striker problem as Mikel Arteta faces decisions in the January transfer window

It is, however, all about Eddie Nketiah.

Strikers are the main talking point around the club at the moment with the ostracised Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang still not involved with the first team after being stripped of the captaincy. With all the other strikers there are points of discussion, too.

Alexandre Lacazette is leaving at the end of the season, Folarin Balogun is departing on loan in January and Nketiah, it would appear, is set to follow in the footsteps of the Frenchman.

Well, he might, or he might not.

Options galore are on the table over the winter window as Nketiah’s further goalscoring exploits cough up various scenarios on how Arsenal should tackle this growing problem they’re faced with. What can they do? What should they do?

There are four possible solutions to this conundrum. Some more likely, and more favourable, than others.

1. Sell or Loan Aubameyang & Keep Eddie Nketiah

The first reaction to a striker scoring a hat-trick is that he’s more worthy of being involved in this team than a certain former captain.

With Aubameyang not involved in the group and not due to link up with the squad until after the Africa Cup of Nations, the opportunities for Nketiah to be even more involved in the Premier League side are there. Pepe is also set to leave and Arteta’s preference for Nketiah out wide in the league makes him a certainty for involvement.

Rumours are already swirling around Aubameyang leaving in January, with some of Europe’s big-hitters eyeing his signing either on loan or permanently. In either case, moving him on will be a grueling task due to his hefty salary.

If if can be done, though, then Arsenal have another low-touch striker to call upon in Nketiah, a player who offers a different profile to current first choice centre-forward Lacazette.

Dangerous in the 18-yard box and lethal in the six-yard box, if Aubameyang can be moved on in January there will be three options to lead the line in Lacazette, Nketiah and Gabriel Martinelli that Arteta may deem sufficient to see the season out.

It will certainly be on his mind.

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