Re: 2025 January Transfer Window
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2025 8:53 amTelegraph: For many Arsenal supporters, this Carabao Cup defeat provided the ultimate proof of what they have long suspected: that Mikel Arteta’s team desperately need another attacking option, either in the striking position or on the wing. Or, you could argue, both.
The timing of this match, in the first week of the January transfer window, only added to that feeling. As did the identity of the scorer of Newcastle United’s first goal. If you asked 60,000 Arsenal fans to pick a dream striker, a huge proportion of them would go for Alexander Isak. Indeed, when Isak stepped off the Newcastle bus before the game, one Arsenal fan even shouted at him: “Welcome home.”
Sadly for those fans, and indeed for Arsenal as a club, Isak is not the sort of player one can just sign in a January window. Newcastle value the Sweden international at more than £150 million. And, even if Arsenal sold the Emirates Stadium to generate the money, Eddie Howe certainly would not be interested in selling him now.
There is a belief among Arsenal fans that the club have not wanted to sign a new forward in recent windows. It is a mistake, though, to equate the lack of forward arrivals with a lack of desire to find one. For some time now, Arsenal have wanted to add another dynamic to Arteta’s attacking options. The right player, at the right price, has simply not materialised.
There is a long list of attacking players Arsenal have tried and failed to sign in recent years. Mykhailo Mudryk, Raphinha, Pedro Neto, Dusan Vlahovic, Nico Williams and Benjamin Sesko have all been of interest but, for various reasons, none have arrived in north London. The consequence of this is that, of the £700 million Arsenal have invested in new players under Arteta, only around £135 million of it has been spent on forwards.
In recent weeks, the problem has more often been Arsenal’s lack of creativity than poor finishing in the penalty area. Against Newcastle, that changed drastically. Arsenal created plenty of opportunities, against an impressive opposition defence, but continuously fluffed their lines in front of goal. So many chances were missed that, by the end, it was almost comical.
There have been games like this in Arsenal’s recent past. Against West Ham United last season, for example, Arteta’s players had 77 touches in the opposition box (the most on record in the Premier League) and took 30 shots. They lost 2-0.
Against Newcastle last night, they had 47 touches in the penalty box and 23 shots. Of those, only three were on target. It does not require a team of highly paid analysts to realise that the biggest problem was the final act of putting the ball in the net.
According to Opta, Arsenal ended the match with an expected goals figure of 3.12. That is the highest figure registered by a Premier League team in any game this season that they failed to score. In other words, it was statistically the worst display of finishing that any Premier League team have delivered since August.
Here, Telegraph Sport breaks down five of their worst misses on a night that will put yet more pressure on Arsenal’s executives to finally find the attacker they need.
Miss one: Timber at the back post
Jurrien Timber is not known for his prowess in the air and, from Arsenal’s perspective, he was the wrong player in the right place to attack Declan Rice’s corner after around 13 minutes. Barely two yards from goal, totally unmarked, he headed over.
Miss two: Martinelli strikes the post
Gabriel Martinelli demonstrated his remarkable pace when breaking free, from inside his own half, and leaving the Newcastle defence in his wake. With only goalkeeper Martin Dubravka to beat, the Brazilian fired his shot towards the near post and hit the woodwork.
Miss three: Gabriel is smothered by Dubravka
Arsenal’s centre-backs cause so many problems in the opposition penalty area and they were at it again towards the end of the first half, when the ball fell to Gabriel inside the six-yard box. He could only fire straight at Dubravka.
Miss four: Havertz’s horror show
For a moment, it looked like Kai Havertz was the luckiest man in north London when a freak deflection brought the ball towards his head, totally unmarked, in the six-yard box. But then the German totally misconnected on his effort, instead shouldering the ball wide.
Miss five: Saliba heads over
Not to be outdone by Gabriel, his defensive partner, William Saliba produced another terrible finish from another corner. Similar to Timber, he was only two yards from goal when the ball reached his head. Similar to Timber, he headed off target.
The timing of this match, in the first week of the January transfer window, only added to that feeling. As did the identity of the scorer of Newcastle United’s first goal. If you asked 60,000 Arsenal fans to pick a dream striker, a huge proportion of them would go for Alexander Isak. Indeed, when Isak stepped off the Newcastle bus before the game, one Arsenal fan even shouted at him: “Welcome home.”
Sadly for those fans, and indeed for Arsenal as a club, Isak is not the sort of player one can just sign in a January window. Newcastle value the Sweden international at more than £150 million. And, even if Arsenal sold the Emirates Stadium to generate the money, Eddie Howe certainly would not be interested in selling him now.
There is a belief among Arsenal fans that the club have not wanted to sign a new forward in recent windows. It is a mistake, though, to equate the lack of forward arrivals with a lack of desire to find one. For some time now, Arsenal have wanted to add another dynamic to Arteta’s attacking options. The right player, at the right price, has simply not materialised.
There is a long list of attacking players Arsenal have tried and failed to sign in recent years. Mykhailo Mudryk, Raphinha, Pedro Neto, Dusan Vlahovic, Nico Williams and Benjamin Sesko have all been of interest but, for various reasons, none have arrived in north London. The consequence of this is that, of the £700 million Arsenal have invested in new players under Arteta, only around £135 million of it has been spent on forwards.
In recent weeks, the problem has more often been Arsenal’s lack of creativity than poor finishing in the penalty area. Against Newcastle, that changed drastically. Arsenal created plenty of opportunities, against an impressive opposition defence, but continuously fluffed their lines in front of goal. So many chances were missed that, by the end, it was almost comical.
There have been games like this in Arsenal’s recent past. Against West Ham United last season, for example, Arteta’s players had 77 touches in the opposition box (the most on record in the Premier League) and took 30 shots. They lost 2-0.
Against Newcastle last night, they had 47 touches in the penalty box and 23 shots. Of those, only three were on target. It does not require a team of highly paid analysts to realise that the biggest problem was the final act of putting the ball in the net.
According to Opta, Arsenal ended the match with an expected goals figure of 3.12. That is the highest figure registered by a Premier League team in any game this season that they failed to score. In other words, it was statistically the worst display of finishing that any Premier League team have delivered since August.
Here, Telegraph Sport breaks down five of their worst misses on a night that will put yet more pressure on Arsenal’s executives to finally find the attacker they need.
Miss one: Timber at the back post
Jurrien Timber is not known for his prowess in the air and, from Arsenal’s perspective, he was the wrong player in the right place to attack Declan Rice’s corner after around 13 minutes. Barely two yards from goal, totally unmarked, he headed over.
Miss two: Martinelli strikes the post
Gabriel Martinelli demonstrated his remarkable pace when breaking free, from inside his own half, and leaving the Newcastle defence in his wake. With only goalkeeper Martin Dubravka to beat, the Brazilian fired his shot towards the near post and hit the woodwork.
Miss three: Gabriel is smothered by Dubravka
Arsenal’s centre-backs cause so many problems in the opposition penalty area and they were at it again towards the end of the first half, when the ball fell to Gabriel inside the six-yard box. He could only fire straight at Dubravka.
Miss four: Havertz’s horror show
For a moment, it looked like Kai Havertz was the luckiest man in north London when a freak deflection brought the ball towards his head, totally unmarked, in the six-yard box. But then the German totally misconnected on his effort, instead shouldering the ball wide.
Miss five: Saliba heads over
Not to be outdone by Gabriel, his defensive partner, William Saliba produced another terrible finish from another corner. Similar to Timber, he was only two yards from goal when the ball reached his head. Similar to Timber, he headed off target.