Another string of missed chances saw Gabriel Jesus suffer a potentially serious injury and the side lost a home penalty shootout to an ailing opponent. Things couldn’t be worse for Arteta and Arsenal in Sunday’s FA Cup tie against Manchester United.

The defeat, just five days after they beat Newcastle 2-0 in similar circumstances in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, further highlighted Arsenal’s problems in attack. How could it become like this? Who is to blame? What needs to happen next?

How serious is the problem?

Kai Havertz was the main attacker on Sunday and he had a brilliant chance in the 88th minute, heading from almost the exact same position in Arsenal’s best start against Newcastle, but The ball missed the crossbar. Then he could only bury his face in the turf.

Havertz is Arsenal’s top scorer with 12 goals in all competitions, but he has had nine shots and an expected goals against of 1.91 but has failed to score in the past two games.

While his skill at getting into the right position is certainly a positive, his wasted shots are also a common problem.

Over the past three seasons, Havertz has been one of the worst expected goals performers in the Premier League, scoring nearly five goals less than he should have based on the quality of chances he has received. . Jesus is the only other center forward in Arsenal’s squad to suffer a more minor injury, but he has posted similar figures.

Havertz, like Manchester City’s Jesus, faced the same problem at his previous club Chelsea. But the 25-year-old is not the only one struggling in front of goal at Arsenal at the moment.

Arsenal have created a combined 6.44 expected goals chances against Newcastle and Manchester United, but only managed one goal through Gabriel Magalhães’ strike on Sunday.

Arteta expressed his doubts about the result after the game, as he did against Newcastle, saying it was “unbelievable” they didn’t win, adding: “Obviously we didn’t get what we deserved.”

He generally downplayed Arsenal’s need for a more forward attack. He can also point to respectable numbers throughout the season, despite their recent struggles. As a team, Arsenal have actually exceeded their expectations this season.

But these statistics don’t tell the whole story. Arsenal are a strong team in dead-ball situations, but they lack the difference-maker in the air.

This is their 14th game with the most one goal in 31 games so far. In contrast, Premier League leaders Liverpool have only had four such games in 29 games, highlighting the gap in firepower between the two sides.

The injury to Bukayo Saka has exacerbated the problem. Arsenal are also without Ethan Nwaneri, while Jesus looks set to be out for a lengthy period after being stretchered off on Sunday.

But even before the injury, Arsenal’s attack looked underpowered – the Gunners failed to score in eight games in all competitions last season, twice as many as champions Manchester City – which begs the question: Why? The club took no action in the summer.

Summer business under scrutiny

Arsenal’s main new signings during the offseason were Mikel Merino and Ricardo Calafiore, with Raheem Sterling later coming on loan. All three struggled to make a positive impact, with Merino and Calafiore making just 12 starts each, while Sterling made just five starts.

Injuries didn’t help. All three have had issues, with Calafioli suffering a new setback that will keep him out of action on Sunday. But regardless of injuries, they still face question marks. Are they really what Arsenal need to move to the next level?

For example, Merino brought aerial prowess and decisiveness to Arsenal’s midfield at a time when it might have been more in need of creativity and goal threat, especially with the sale of Emile Smith Rowe to Fulham and allowed Fabio Vieira to join Porto on loan.

When the club took the opportunity to sign Sterling on loan, they hoped he would be able to bring those qualities into play in attack. But damningly, Arteta rarely turns to him for help, even when he has recovered. Entering the middle of his career, he had only played 146 minutes in the Premier League.

Jesus may be needed now as he has been placed on the injured list. But, like Merino and Calafioli, he still has a lot of work to do to prove that he can give Arsenal and Arteta what they need.

Arteta spoke of his “love” for his players after Sunday’s defeat, but it is increasingly clear that the only solution to their attacking problems lies in the transfer market. The problem is that the January window is harder to navigate than the summer window.

Is Arteta guilty?

The signings of Merino and Calafiore continue a trend of defensive focus under Arteta. Since his arrival, the club has brought in just six attacking midfielders or forwards on permanent contracts, compared to 18 defenders, defensive midfielders or goalkeepers.

This is partly determined by the environment. Arteta inherits a defensive squad that needs an overhaul, but Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have better tools in attack.

However, many supporters believe Arteta’s defensive focus on the game better explains the imbalance. Arsenal set a club record for goals in the Premier League last season, but reducing risk at the other end is undoubtedly key to the manager’s philosophy.

Arteta’s cautious approach has become a point of contention for many. But he does sound like a man who was aware of the lack of firepower up front after the Newcastle game.

When asked about Alexander Isak’s impact on the win, he said: “When you have real quality, that’s what you have.” It felt like a pointed comment to the club’s hierarchy, pointing out his The team is still missing something.

Arsenal’s pursuit of RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesco shows that Arsenal are indeed trying to strengthen their attack in the summer. Arteta cannot be blamed for not getting the deal done.

As influential as he is, he is not the only person responsible for recruiting and team building at the club. Now-departed sporting director Edu and other decision-makers at the club should also come under scrutiny.

Is it time to gamble on the market?

Arsenal are active in the transfer market and are ready to make a move when the right opportunity arises. Whether they will, though, is another question.

Arteta has highlighted the difficulty of finding players who can make Arsenal better. “Bringing in bodies doesn’t help us at all,” he said last week. “It’s about a guy who can impact our performance immediately and bring something to the table that we don’t have.”

Of course, he has a point. There is no benefit in signing someone for the sake of signing someone. But all signings come with risks. Even the “perfect” player may not have the desired impact. By the same token, you can be rewarded for gambling on seemingly imperfect options.

Liverpool’s attack showed why. Diogo Jota, for example, excelled at Anfield despite never scoring more than nine goals in the Premier League before moving from Wolves.

Of course, Dalvin Nunez still has a long way to go to justify his price tag, but Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo were both signed for relatively affordable fees by today’s standards, Continuing to offer good value for money, the former does that immediately upon arrival mid-season in 2022.

And, of course, Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian proved to be a stunning success, but despite his performances in Italy he was far from a guarantee when he arrived at Chelsea from Roma, having previously failed to make an impact in the Premier League. .

Arsenal can learn from this.

They have already paid the price on the pitch for their failure to reinforce in the summer and they certainly cannot let another window pass without action – even if they have to compromise on what they can get.