Arsenal still firmly in top four hunt despite negativity

Everyone will be pretty ecstatic to see the back of January‘s fixture for Arsenal. The 0-0 draw against Burnley was the final installment of a forgettable month.

It reads: five matches played, one goal scored, two competitions eliminated from, three red cards, and ground lost on the top four.

Seeing the likes of Manchester United score last-minute winners and Tottenham somehow snatch three points with two goals in additional time did not help the overall mood after a sluggish and uneventful stalemate at home to the club bottom of the Premier League.

As is the case with almost every result these days, the reaction was fierce: top four is now dead and buried. No it is not.

Arsenal still firmly in top four hunt despite negativity although striker signing in January window will give Arteta’s side the edge

After 21 matches of the season if being two points off the top four with a game in hand was offered it would have been taken. By a large majority, you’d imagine.

It may have been a match of few goalscoring chances, but it was nonetheless one that Arsenal dominated and with two more decisive touches with the goal gaping, they would have won. There are 17 matches left to go and the pursuit for the top four is far from over. Far from over.

What happens between now and the transfer window closing on Monday, January 31 will be pivotal, though. And that’s not just in terms of Arsenal either. Despite Tottenham having a world class manager, they’ve got a desperately poor team with their most expensive signings angling for moves away this winter.

But focusing on Arsenal, if the club can bring in the elusive striker to effectively replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Lacazette and Nketiah, three players who won’t be here past the summer, then their chances of doing so increases dramatically.

It requires no prior knowledge of football to see that centre-forward is an issue for Arsenal. Make the right acquisition there and this team is elevated to new levels.

Can Arsenal secure top four if they don’t bring in a striker? Well, they’ve got themselves to this point with seven league goals from their strikers so far, a period that has included squad-wide development and involved relationships being built across the pitch. Based on that, coupled with the continued improvements tactically and in relation to team chemistry, there is no reason to suggest they can’t.

But when you need that extra edge in matches, someone to produce a moment, it isn’t going to come from the three centre-forwards on the books and therefore the task is made harder. Combined, the trio have averaged a goal every 292 minutes in the league this term, and still top four remains a possibility. With the likes of Harry Kane, Cristiano Ronaldo and Michail Antonio hardly prolific this term either, bringing the right player in would be transformative.

It’s become customary to blow a lid after every poor result. As disappointing as it is drop two points at home to weak opposition, the table is still mostly fine. Win the winnable games from hereon in, bring in one or two bodies and it will almost entirely come down to the North London Derby and the visit of Manchester United.

Top four is most definitely still on.