Mikel Arteta has defended his players when asked if Arsenal are missing a striker like Alexander Isak after his winning goal for Newcastle.
Speaking to the press after his team’s damaging defeat to Newcastle on Saturday, Arteta denied that his current squad requires a striker, believing that the players already at his disposal provide more than enough firepower.
In a game headlined by a first-half goal by Isak, a high-quality header that left David Raya helpless in goal, questions were posed to Arteta about Arsenal’s own goalscoring options. Arteta started Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard in the most advanced positions, but the Germany international failed to register a single shot on goal, while the Belgian had one attempt blocked and another miss the target.
The poor attacking performance comes after reports Arsenal wanted to sign Isak in the summer and remain interested in him. However, Arteta denied that his side are missing a player of his profile.
Addressing the lack of a recognised striker, Arteta said: “I love my players, and I wouldn’t swap them for anybody else.”
And when asked about where the defeat leaves Arsenal in the title race, Arteta responded: “After eight, nine or 10 games last season, we didn’t talk about it, and we won’t talk about it now. It’s about how you react to [the defeat]. We’re not going to find the right words or answers to describe how we feel. We have to put it on the field on Wednesday night against Inter. It’s about being our best selves every week. Today, we weren’t our best version.”
Arteta and Arsenal must recover swiftly from this defeat, as they first play Italian champions Inter in the Champions League on Wednesday before travelling to Stamford Bridge next Sunday to face Chelsea.
