Posted by After Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League North London derby, Manchester United veteran Gary Neville suggested that Arsenal needed to get a new striker who could “sniff, smell, and anticipate.”
Gabriel Jesus is now Arsenal’s starting striker, with Eddie Nketiah often filling in as a backup; Leandro Trossard can also be used in the center forward role.
Folarin Balogun, a striker, was traded away by the Gunners over the summer, and newcomer Kai Havertz is being developed into a midfielder.
Neville, though, thinks that Mikel Arteta’s team needs to get a new forward if they want to catch up to Manchester City in the Premier League title fight this year.
On his podcast, Neville emphasized the importance of having “a couple of players in your team, at least one,” who can “smell” where the ball is going to fall.
They just play off another striker and two up top; they are not a poacher, as those days are long gone. We have moved on from that point in time.
And Gabriel Jesus’ robbery of James Maddison was a major event in the game, he continued. Arsenal lacks the requisite kineticism, alertness, and anticipation to consistently win matches.
It was clear in this game that Arsenal is lacking that type of player, but I still think they can win the league or finish second, have a terrific season, and win trophies without him. Even more knowledgeable than I am, Alan Smith, called it out in remark.