The manager of Arsenal football club, Mikel Arteta has lamented that the ongoing January transfer window has been complicated but added that he is still hoping to sign new players before the transfer window closes.
The January transfer window opened on January 1 and it is expected to close on January 31, 2022. Since the window opened, coach Mikel Arteta has not been able to bring in a big name to strengthen his current squad.
Recall that towards the end of last year, Arsenal enjoyed an improved form that pushed the club from the middle of the table to the 4th spot. Unfortunately for coach Mikel Arteta and his boys, things have not been the same with them since the start of 2022.
So far this year, Arsenal have played five matches in all competitions and failed to win any. It got so bad that the club failed to score in their last four games, which has never happened since December 2005.
Just like most clubs in the Premier League, Arsenal have a couple of players out with different degrees of injuries and covid-19 infection. It got so bad that coach Mikel Arteta had to name five academy players in the squad that took on bottom-placed Burnley on Sunday, January 23.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, they could not score against the relegation-bound team; hence, the Premier League game ended in a goalless draw.
If Arsenal had won the game, they would have replaced Manchester United on the 4th spot on superior goals difference. Hence, the draw forced Arsenal to remain on the 6th spot with 36 points in 21 games, two points away from 4th placed Manchester United.
After the 0-0 draw with Burnley, coach Mikel Arteta admitted that the club planned to recruit players this January but it has been difficult for that to happened.
“It was what we planned but the market is difficult and complicated”, the Spanish tactician said.
“We knew that, but it’s a lot to manage. We have to make the right decisions with players we believe are going to really help us and try to bring the ones that can take us to the next level.
“We are certainly trying, but whether we are going to be able to do it, let’s see. It’s not only about our intention, but a lot of [things] that are needed to happen.
“The players who come here have to take us to the next level. We already have a level and we want to set much better standards than we already have. That’s how we want to recruit.”
Mikel Arteta laments about the poor form of his attackers
Coach Mikel Arteta of Arsenal could not come up with the right tactics to make his team score goals in the last four games.
Even when they met bottom-placed Burnley on Sunday, Arsenal tried for 90 minutes to score but failed despite recording 20 shots, five of which were on target.
Coach Mikel Arteta currently has two established strikers under his tutelage – Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. But currently, the club has only Lacazette available for the team as Aubameyang is out of favor and currently unfit.
After the 0-0 draw with Burnley, coach Arteta said: “The way we started the game, it was slow and we didn’t play forward enough and didn’t have enough urgency. Probably because of Thursday, it could be one of the reasons.
“Afterwards, we picked the game up and started to get better, and certainly the second half was completely different. We were much more dynamic, we had more penetration, we played forward and we had better positions to [threaten] in behind.
“We created several situations, shots, crosses. But to win this match you need to have a different level of quality, and we lacked that today.
“With the number of situations we generated, someone has to win you the game if you want to be on top…
“It’s true that in the last four games we haven’t done it.
“Today, again, it’s not about the situations that you can create but the quality of the execution and the number of shots you need to put on target to win against a team like Burnley.”
🐌 "The way we started the game was slow. We didn’t have any urgency. "
— SPORF (@Sporf) January 23, 2022
🎙️ Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reflects on his side's 0-0 draw with Burnley, and the spark they lacked during the game. pic.twitter.com/W64TkKQs60
Due to the need for strikers at the club, Arsenal are currently linked with Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic. Also, the Premier League side are currently trying to sign Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo.
