Xavi Simons, Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap (Photos: Stuart Franklin, Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Thoughts on the Painful Champions League exit
This was one of the most painful European exits I remember at Arsenal. And that’s not because of the way they go out, but because they have the real feeling that this is a huge missed opportunity for the club.
The ultimate price was inspiring distance, but it slid down in agony from the club’s fingers.
You can’t interfere with your performance on Wednesday night. He was mostly superior from the Paris team. They played really well, showed courage, dealt with the atmosphere and created opportunities. However, they couldn’t find a way to score.
Gianluigi donnarumma had an incredible night. In fact, he had an incredible tie on his two legs. But at these big moments, they had to find a way to beat the best goalkeeper, and Arsenal couldn’t do that.
On two legs, they had a higher XG than the PSG. They created better opportunities. But they scored once in 180 minutes despite creating all the opportunities. It’s never quite enough at a very top level.
And it’s the Arsenal seasonal story. In the league, they score one or no goals in 17 of their 35 games, with all the Cup exits being dominated by missed chances. Arsenal doesn’t have enough players to score goals or step up at their biggest moments.
Annoyed, everyone could have told you at the beginning of the season. The injury didn’t help, but even if Kai Herberts and Gabriel Jesus were available last night, you could not confidently say that you could have taken one of the possibilities that any of them were created.
Attacks lack ruthlessness. The club betted the windows significantly by sitting in the last two windows and doing nothing to enhance their attacking options.
It’s not certain that the right strikers have handed them over to the line this season, but certainly they would have given them a better chance to win one of the trophies they want right now.
My mind went back to the speech given by Mikel Arteta after the final day of last season’s Everton match, when Arsenal just missed Manchester City’s Premier League title.
“Don’t be satisfied,” he told supporters. “We want more than that and we’re going to get it.”
But it’s hard to look back at some windows of the past and feel that the powers that Arsenal has are satisfied and a little more comfortable with how things are going.
They had a huge opportunity to push and really ask for it, but they chose to push the boat out and get what they need to get this team the tools they need to cross the line this season.
Arsenal was still standing last summer when they were supposed to be really looking for it. That’s a mistake that cannot be repeated this time.
Liam Delap is linked but looks like an incorrect signature for Arsenal
Many strikers will be linked to Arsenal between now and summer. Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko are two names that we feel are most likely to bring something right now, but the other names continue to be mentioned.
I’ve seen Liam Dellup talk and I think he’s had a good season for Ipswich and will make a good move this summer, but I’d be surprised if it’s at Arsenal.
The £30 million release clause is appealing, but Arsenal hasn’t seen sign the two strikers in this next window. There is no way Dellup is the first option for the club.
It would be asking for a lot of him and it would not be a move that would work out with the supporters.
Arsenal spent a lot of time on strikers and I don’t think it’s Dellup’s kind of person.
Arsenal certainly invests in wingers – should Jamie Gitens be seen?
The reason why Arsenal won’t see them buying two strikers this summer is because they think they’ll spend a lot of money on another winger.
It is clear that they need to broaden their alternative options. Someone who can add to what they already have and help them open the game.
Like I said last week, I don’t know if it has to be an out-and-out winger. It may be someone who can run wide, but it can also drift into the central area and share a creative burden with Martin Odegaard. People like Eberechi Eze and Xavi Simons.
The German report suggests that Arsenal is watching Jamie Gitens, which will be interesting.
He is the player you describe as an out-and-out winger. He’s still pretty raw, but he really has the ability to run on a defender and carry long distances of the ball. That’s what Arsenal is missing right now.
He also has a pace, but this definitely needs to be added to the team.
At this point, we can’t say who Arsenal will sign. I don’t think anyone can do it. The club has targets and we need to wait to see who they get.
Nico Williams still believes it is Arteta’s first choice. But we all know that it can be difficult to get past the line.
Arsenal should not sell Gabriel Martinelli or Leandro Torosad
Even though the winger is expected to come in, I’m not really seeing why either Gabriel Martinelli or Leandro Torosad should leave.
Arsenal needs a lot of good offensive options. Arteta needs to have enough players at their disposal to spin with confidence and rest players when necessary.
He clearly feels he hasn’t been able to do it over the past few seasons, and it’s not hard to think that the injuries we’ve seen are the direct result of that.
So, if that’s one case, this summer, the team will have similar figures.
Obviously, if someone like Trossard or Martinelli brings a truly attractive offer, the club must consider it, but it must be a very good offer.
Still, it will need to be replaced. I don’t think there will be enough new wide-wide attackers this summer if someone leaves.
If they really pushed to sell this summer from Martinelli or Torosad to the club this summer, I would probably go to the latter due to his age and contract status.
But again, that’s not something I’m desperate to look at.
