Forgotten Arsenal star key to Mikel Arteta rediscovering Premier League title form

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has three missions in 2024 to fight for the Premier League title and deal with the latest dip in form following back-to-back defeats

Arsenal’s defeat to Fulham in the Premier League was the low point of the season and thankfully the year came to an end to provide a theoretical cut-off of what has been a terrible run of form. 2024 brings with it new possibilities and a break to the league action for nearly three weeks with only an FA Cup game against Liverpool to consider.

Mikel Arteta struck an angry figure and was atypically scathing of his side’s performance in the defeat compared to his words following the debacle with West Ham United. Reflecting on the result, and the recent run of form, there are things that need to change and opportunities that must not be missed.

With that said, football.london takes a look at the three New Year’s Resolutions that Mikel Arteta might consider for 2024. Ranging from transfers to internal solutions, the Spaniard has options and Arsenal still have a chance at the title.

Do not waste the January transfer window

With the new year comes the opening of the January transfer window and therefore the chance to sign new players. Without question, this Arsenal team is in need of invention, new ideas and reinforcement of quality.

That said, it has perhaps never been so restricted in terms of the club’s capacity to make this happen. There is not an unwillingness to spend but instead, the Profit and Sustainability Rules mean that the club is working under tight considerations which is why David Raya was signed on loan in the summer instead of permanently.

There will be a need to sell before buying and despite suggestions the club will be resistant to offers for Eddie Nketiah and Aaron Ramsdale this perhaps needs to be re-thought. Neither player is offering what a title-challenging side needs – in the keeper’s case this is exclusively due to not being selected – and both represent a financial asset that could bring in vital funds.

Rediscover the goalscoring form

Arsenal scored 88 Premier League goals in the last season, more than any other iteration of the club has in its history. Besides the loss of Granit Xhaka, the team has stayed almost exactly the same with of course the addition of Declan Rice to the fold.

This means that the capacity to be this dangerous in front of goal exists within the group. The solutions can be found from within and the quality is indeed present throughout the squad, even with the injuries too.

Arteta needs to make his team rediscover the arrogance they had and self-belief to be faster in their build-up, clinical in their finishing and more decisive in their actions. The break to the league that has arrived might be the perfect chance to rediscover it and knocking Liverpool out of the FA Cup would be another serious boost to the mood.

Give Smith Rowe a chance

Mikel Arteta has been reluctant to give some players a chance from the bench it seems. The most obvious candidate is Emile Smith Rowe.

In need of a goal, Smith Rowe was not used and therefore the fifth substitute was opted against by the Spaniard at Fulham. He waited until well into the 80th minute and beyond to use him against West Ham in which he was able to take a shot at goal but struggled to match the speed of the game.

Smith Rowe was one of his biggest assets as his stock grew as Arsenal manager but the injuries have set him back. But he can only reclaim his best form if he is given the chance to play and with Gabriel Martinelli in such a rut, perhaps it is time for the Hale End graduate to make his return.

‘He can finish’… Micah Richards says £43m striker would be absolutely ‘perfect’ for Arsenal

Arsenal need a new striker.

The Gunners have an incredibly strong spine and some fantastic creative players, but putting the ball into the back of the net is proving to be a consistent problem for Mikel Arteta’s side.

Arsenal want to win the league, but after scoring just five goals in their last five league games, the north London club’s hopes of winning the title are falling away.

The north London club need a new forward, but one player they may not be able to sign this month is Victor Osimhen.

The Nigerian had been linked to Arsenal, but he’s just signed a new contract with Napoli, much to the bemusement of Micah Richards.

Speaking on The Rest is Football, Richards has been discussing Osimhen’s new deal with the Italian champions, and he says that he’s shocked by the striker’s decision, claiming that he looked destined for the Premier League, stating that he looks perfect for a team like Arsenal.

Osimhen perfect for Arsenal

Richards shared his verdict on the £43m striker.

“The problem is now the prices for the number nines now. Someone like Osimhen, he might cost you £150m, and teams don’t want to spend that on one player. I was surprised that he signed (a new contract) he has all the tools to play in the Premier League, he’s fast, he’s strong, he can hold it up and he can finish. I thought he would’ve been perfect for someone like Arsenal, but it wasn’t meant to be,” Richards said.

Shame

Richards is right, Osimhen would’ve been perfect for Arsenal, but, sadly, they won’t be able to get him now.

A new deal rules out a January move for the striker, and that’s a real shame not only for Arsenal, but for the Premier League.

Of course, we always want to see the best players in the world come and play in England, but, sadly, it looks like Osimhen won’t be heading to these shores anytime soon.

Perhaps this is one that could be revisited in a couple of years’ time, but, for now, Arsenal will have to look elsewhere.

‘The best idea’: Kieran Gibbs says Arsenal should sign £15m player in a swap deal now

All of a sudden, Arsenal look like they need to be busy in January.

The Gunners have now lost three of their last five league games, and their entire season is at risk of going off the rails.

There are some clear gaps in this team, and speaking on ESPN, Kieran Gibbs has claimed that the Gunners need to shore up their midfield.

The former full-back pointed towards Douglas Luiz as a potential signing, claiming that while Arsenal may not have the money to do such a deal, a swap deal could perhaps twist Aston Villa’s arm on this one.

Arsenal should get Luiz in a swap deal

Gibbs shared his verdict on the £15m man.

“It’s probably the best idea to go and get someone like Douglas Luiz,” Gibbs said.

“They haven’t got the money!” The host interrupted.

“Yeah, but you can swap players, you can swap players, there are deals to be done there for sure, there’s Emile Smith Rowe, there’s Eddie, there’s deals to be done there in this window, if I was to do anything I’d probably shore up the midfield and hope that in the second half of the season Saka, Martinelli and Odegaard come alive,” Gibbs said.

Difficult

As much as Luiz would be a fantastic signing for Arsenal, we can’t see this one getting over the line.

In theory, swap deals are a great way to get around cashflow problems, but when you’re negotiating three contracts at once and trying to work out your internal valuations on your own books alongside amortisation, these deals become difficult.

Yes, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah are ripe for these sorts of moves, but, at the same time, as academy graduates, Arsenal would perhaps want to sell them for cash rather than part-exchange as anything they receive for the sale would be able to put through the books as pure profit due to their status as academy graduates.

This is an interesting idea, but we can’t see it being a viable option.

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