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Former Liverpool man Graeme Souness has questioned Arsenal’s quality up top, hinting they might not have enough striking options to secure a top-four finish.
With Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea on course for the top three spots in the Premier League, the fourth position is up for grabs. Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers are all in the race to secure Champions League football for next season.
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Having picked up 41 points in 25 Premier League matches, the Hammers currently occupy fourth position. Manchester United are fifth with 40 points in 24 matches. Next, we have Arsenal in sixth with 39 points, but they have played two games fewer than the Red Devils. Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur occupy seventh and eighth positions, respectively.
Souness has analyzed the gradually intensifying Premier League top-four race and given his honest verdict. He called out the Gunners for their lack of goalscorers, United for consistency issues, and Spurs for their lack of confidence. The Scot only praised Wolves, who, he believes, are doing well.
On Sky Sports (via HITC), Souness opined:
“I think it (top-four race) will go all the way till the end.”
“You go through those teams. Do Arsenal have enough goals?”
“Spurs look to be in trouble trying to regain some confidence. Right now, you would take them out of it. Wolves are a really good team.”
On United, he added:
“Coming back to Man United, scoring goals is the hardest thing and they have so many strikers. You would think they could get that mix right. That’s what makes them dangerous."
“But they are struggling for any sort of continuity.”
Arsenal return to Premier League action with an exciting clash against Brentford on Saturday.
Arsenal’s lack of striking options could spell doom in the business end of the season
As renowned pundit Graeme Souness has rightly pointed out, the north London side do not have many options through the middle. After cutting ties with out-of-favor star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January, the Londoners are left with only two center forwards: Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah.
Coincidentally, both strikers are out of contract in the summer, meaning they could already be in contact with other clubs. If they sign a pre-agreement with another club, there would be very little incentive for them to give their 100% for Mikel Arteta’s side. They could end up taking a safer approach and preserve themselves for their would-be employers.
Will Arteta be able to keep his strikers motivated until the end of the season, or will he fall back on a dependable “Plan B”? The next couple of months will answer all our queries.
