Mikel Arteta says Arsenal are “very short” in attack and need January reinforcements after a blowing a two-goal lead against Aston Villa.
Arsenal looked to be heading to a simple 2-0 win over Villa at the Emirates on Saturday, before two goals in eight minutes from the visitors turned the game on its head.
The Gunners have seven players out injured and had three academy players among the substitutes, whereas £85 million ($103m) signing Darwin Nunez came off the bench to score two late goals for Premier League leaders Liverpool at Brentford.
This was not lost on manager Arteta. “When you look at the performances, I don’t know how many teams are playing at this level on the league, but when you look at the bench, probably you say, I think we are very short,” he said. “There are moments, obviously.
They (Liverpool) managed to do that, they made the subs and the subs made the impact – and they managed to change the game. And, in our side, it was the opposite, even though after conceding the two goals very close to each other, the danger was because I knew how the team was we could go downhill because we were physically drained.
Suddenly, the team find another gear to go again and just put Aston Villa in the box and go on, go again, trying to find the goal that wouldn’t have been able to score at the end.”
Arsenal are now six points behind first-placed Liverpool and Arne Slot’s men have a game in hand. Unless the Gunners don’t make some more signings in January, with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus out injured, they may miss out on the Premier League title for another year.
Arsenal take a break from the Premier League on Wednesday when they host Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.