The next phase of Arsenal’s rebuild: More goals

Not even the most optimistic of supporters would have expected Arsenal to be challenging for the top four so soon after dropping out of Europe completely. The past two seasons have seen Arsenal languishing in eighth, showcasing how defunct the squad was.

This season, however, has seen Mikel Arteta’s rebuild take off.

With impressive youngsters, shrewd signings and a clear tactical plan in place, there is plenty to get excited about. Yet, while the positives serve as rallying cries, the deficiencies in the team are equally easy to spot. Arsenal can lack a clinical edge in their finishing, their midfield lacks a ball-carrying left-sided No. 8, and there is inexperience throughout the squad. The most pressing issue is the former.

Alexandre Lacazette’s strengths and weaknesses have been discussed ad nauseum. While he has served the club well during his tenure, being nothing short of a model professional, it is time to move him on in the summer. We know all that. This team needs a striker who can, to put it simply, score goals. Lacazette does not have the requisite athleticism or finishing ability to consistently score week in and week out, nor the stamina to last more than 70 minutes.

The next phase of Arsenal’s rebuild is to unearth more goals, which will come via a combination of internal development and summer transfer signings

The most fearsome teams in football have goals spread out throughout the team. The striker will have the primary task of banging them in but he won’t be the only one. Wingers and midfielders alike will contribute while defenders provide a threat from set pieces.

The inability to score goals does not end with Lacazette but it certainly starts there. Martin Odegaard boasts a technical ability perhaps unparalleled at the club but he is guilty of faltering in front of goal, sometimes choosing to make an unnecessary extra pass or not taking a shot on. His weak finish towards the end of the Brentford game illustrates which aspect of his game isn’t his strongest, albeit an area that can undoubtedly be improved in the weeks and months to come.

While Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka are adding a devastating new level to their productivity, further behind them are where the goals truly start to falter. Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka have only one goal between them. Even though the double pivot are not expected to transform into prime Thierry Henry, nor are they truly tasked with scoring, they should still be easing the burden on the already overworked young wide players.

The transfer window can certainly add some panache in that department.

A quick look at Liverpool’s midfield illustrates the importance of goals from midfield. Fabinho has logged four goals and an assist this season, while Henderson has two goals and four assists. More needs to be demanded from Arsenal’s midfield anchors.

The young players have done well thus far and their stats illustrate not just their ability now, but their potential for the future as they continue to grow and develop.

All that said, since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was ostracised from the team only Liverpool and Manchester City have netted more times than Arsenal in the Premier League. The goal threat does, however, need to be spread across the starting lineup in order to make Arsenal a more dangerous and intimidating outfit.

A marquee centre-forward and someone to fill that left-sided No. 8 role with a touch more attacking threat would go a long towards solving that.