Arsenal’s solution to damaging problem may be right in front of Mikel Arteta’s eyes

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Arsenal’s solution to damaging problem may be right in front of Mikel Arteta’s eyes
Author: mirrornews@mirror.co.uk (Alan Smith)
Published: Jan, 04 2025 19:39

For Arsenal the opening days of January have, again, been framed around whether they need a prolific goalscorer to get them over the line. And on an evening when Mikel Arteta’s team dropped two more points in a title race that is not far from over, there was both evidence that a prolific No9 is a more pressing requirement than ever and that the long-term solution might be right under their eyes.

Ethan Nwaneri is raw and needs plenty of finessing but his 16th-minute opener, cancelled out by Joao Pedro’s debatable penalty after just over an hour, provided another glimpse of a youngster who Arteta believes could eventually be converted into a striker.

And how they need it as Gabriel Jesus produced an anonymous performance on the south coast to quieten talk of the Brazilian discovering a level of form that could help Arsenal to reel in Liverpool, who remain five points clear with two games in hand before facing Manchester United on Sunday.

Nwaneri's goal was a brilliant, fluid bit of play that Arsenal did not repeat. Brighton should lament giving him so much space as he gathered Mikel Merino’s through ball - following a smart exchange with Declan Rice - and to say Bart Verbruggen’s attempt to save was disappointing would be an understatement.

But the 17-year-old still displayed the sort of composure that makes it easy to see why Arteta is beginning to think about developing him into a central role. The Arsenal manager immediately made it clear when raising the prospect last month that it would be a long-term process to turn the attacking midfielder into the focal point of his frontline, so do not expect him to start as a No9 any week soon.

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