3 hours ago
1 ARTICLE AD
Kai Havertz being ruled out for the rest of the season has created huge problems for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal.
The injury news just keeps on coming and the Gunners’ failure to sign a striker in January is coming back to haunt them just days after the transfer window closed.
6
Havertz joins an already well populated medical room with a muscle injury sustained while on their winter camp to Dubai, an injury that's likely to keep him sidelined for the rest of this season and into next term.
An already threadbare forward line is looking desperately thin.
Gabriel Jesus is already out until the end of 2025, while Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are not expected to be back in contention until March at the earliest.
Add to that Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu and that’s a core spine of the Arsenal squad that are missing.
The Gunners are six points behind Liverpool, which could be extended to nine if Arne Slot’s side beat Everton on Wednesday night.
Drop points in any upcoming games, starting with Leicester on Saturday, then their title quest will be all-but over.
talkSPORT host, and former Crystal Palace owner, Simon Jordan thinks Arteta will use this as an excuse for why they will not win the title.
Jordan said: “This is going to enable Arteta to hide in the long grass and have a justification for Arsenal not winning the league this year - and it might be a legitimate one.
"But it's going to take the heat off him in some respects, because people are not going to expect him to win the league now because he's bereft of strikers.
"Up you step Raheem Sterling, everyone tells how wonderful you are, there might be a reason why Mancherster City bounced you off to Chelsea and Chelsea bounced you off to Arsenal.
6
"Now is your opportunity to prove everybody wrong and earn your money."
Arteta’s options are very limited and could force him into a makeshift front-line, here talkSPORT.com takes a look.
The Trossard false-9
Arteta’s go-to starting front three will be the only fit trio of attackers he has at his disposal and that’s Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri.
Both Sterling and Trossard can play on the left, but both do also have experience as a false 9 down the middle.
Sterling played there for Man City and Liverpool, while Arteta has used Trossard in that role previously when Jesus was out injured.
6
Nwaneri new position
Teenager Nwaneri is gaining rave reviews for how he has played on the right in Saka’s absence and he could get his chance through the middle.
It is seen as a possible long-term option for the Gunners once their ‘Starboy’ is back.
Arteta said in December: “Ethan can play as a right attacking midfielder, left attacking midfielder, as a right winger and there is another position he can develop into in a few years: [a number] nine.
“[When] he’s got the goal in front of him, he just looks at the goal. He has a tremendous ability to put the ball in the back of the net.”
6
The Merino gamble
If Arteta would rather someone who matched Havertz for physical presence up top then midfielder Mikel Merino could be the way to go.
Merino has shown he has an eye for goal already and is good in the air.
Arteta played with Marouane Fellaini at Everton under David Moyes, so he could take some inspiration from that and stick the big midfielder upfront.
6
The wildcard
Hear us out on this one… Riccardo Calafiori up front.
The defender has two goals for Arsenal this season and his eye for the back of the net has not gone unnoticed.
Calafiori was even asked about playing as a striker earlier this season.
He said: “When I was a kid, I think like everyone, I was a striker. I liked to score many goals.
“When I arrived at my first professional team I started to play more at the back. But I think I haven’t lost this feeling with the goal… I hope.”
If Trossard and/or Sterling get injured then their only other choice at left wing would be Kieran Tierney, who is leaving the club this summer.
6
