As Arsenal search for an all-important win over Nottingham Forest that would see them immediately reclaim top spot, manager, Mikel Arteta has expressed a concern over the lack of goals from his strikers in recent weeks.
After an electric start to the season in which they won nine of their opening ten Premier League fixtures, the Gunners have hit a slight bump in the road, riding their luck against Leeds United before being held at St Mary's in a 1-1 draw against Southampton, and most recently suffering an unscripted 2-0 defeat in the Europa League at the hands of a vibrant PSV Eindhoven side.
Arsenal are by no means enduring a crisis, but any troubles would be significantly eased by strike duo Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah re-finding their scoring form. Jesus, who signed for the North Londoners in the summer from Manchester City for a reported £45million started life at the Emirates better than even he could have hoped, lighting up their pre-season tour before netting against Leicester, Aston Villa, Brentford and Spurs, but since then goals have dried up.
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Academy graduate has found the back of the net more recently, opening the scoring against Norwegian outfit Bodø/Glimt in Arsenal's Europa League campaign, but that was the last time either striker got on the scoresheet, something Arteta is keen to change.
“We need goals and we need goals from our front players, that’s for sure, to win the games and to give us bigger margins [of victory]," the Spaniard explained. “Obviously, that run of a lack of goals has to end for us to be in a position to win more matches, that is for sure.”
With a game two or three times a week and the first ever winter World Cup just around the corner, Arteta is aware that Jesus and Nketiah's scoring form must be recaptured on the pitch and that sessions at Colney cannot be relied upon.
“Training is very restricted but sometimes there are a lot of mental things that you can work on and then discuss about experiences they have had."
Arteta is sympathetic in understanding that strikers will not score every game, but set his forwards the challenge of coping with that reality and installing some self-belief and to get back to scoring once more.
“It is not the first time that Eddie or Gabi have gone five games without scoring a goal in their careers – that happens to any striker that I have known of and they have to deal with that, it is part of their job.”
A home match against last placed Nottingham Forest, who despite their position in the table have improved of late under Steve Cooper, represents the ideal opportunity for Arsenal to get back to winning ways and for their men leading the line to recapture form.
“The best way after defeat is to win the next game, that’s 100 per cent for sure. We have a great opportunity on Sunday in front of our crowd, we’ve been incredibly good at home and we have to see a different side.”
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