Arsenal must learn from Pochettino mistake by taking chance to correct Haaland, Salah imbalance

Arsenal go into another January transfer window top of the Premier League with issues to correct in their squad. Dominic Solanke is one of many answers.

Arsenal take on West Ham on Thursday night looking to return to the top of the table. The Gunners seem well placed for another push at the title this season, but do they need to dip into the market next month to find a striker who can fire them to league glory for the first time in 20 years?

While having played one game fewer than all the sides around them bar Manchester City and Spurs, Mikel Arteta’s side have the sixth-lowest goals tally in the Premier League, even if 36 in 18 is not a bad record.

Instead of being free-scoring and super exciting going forward as they were at this stage last season, the hallmark of their success to date this time around has been their defensive solidity and resilience – for the most part anyway – with no side conceding fewer goals.

It is no coincidence that the two players receiving the most acclaim among the fanbase currently are William Saliba (man of the match in last weekend’s draw at Anfield) and Declan Rice, who faces off for the first time against his former side.

Take a glance at the league’s leading scorers and you will need to scroll down or to the next page to find the first mention of an Arsenal player: Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah sit alongside one another in 19th place with five goals apiece, just the nine behind Erling Haaland.

While undoubtedly their best forward, Saka has only scored once in his last 10 games – there have been goals in the Champions League – while Nketiah last hit the back of the net two months ago against Sheffield United and his hat-trick there pads his stats somewhat too.

As for their other forwards? Gabriel Jesus has just three, although two have come in recent weeks against Luton and Brighton. However, he just cannot be relied on when it matters most. Regular substitute Leandro Trossard is level with him, a better tally given his limited gametime.

A scorer of 15 league goals last season, much was expected of Gabriel Martinelli ahead of this campaign, but with just two to date, he has fallen well below expectations in front of goal.

The slack has been picked up elsewhere, most notably by the much-maligned Kai Havertz of late, while Martin Odegaard and Rice have also contributed, the latter solely dealing in key late goals.

While it is certainly a positive for goals to be spread around a team, it is extremely rare for any side to win the Premier League without a reliable, out and out marksman. The only one in recent memory was Manchester City themselves in 2020/21, when Ilkay Gundogan was their leading attacking light after a brilliant mid-season run.

City, of course, now have Haaland – the clear difference maker last season – and Liverpool have Mohamed Salah, scorer of 12 league goals, one of which was the equaliser last weekend against the Gunners.

It is a stark contrast between the three sides in the actual title race (apologies to all Aston Villa and Spurs fans) and something that the Gunners would be wise to try and remedy in the January transfer window.

READ MORE: Toney tops ranking of Arsenal January striker targets by how much they could overpay

Questions were raised in the summer when the guts of £200m was spent without a top-level No. 9 being brought but in Arteta and Edu’s defence, the market was shallow with proven strikers becoming an increasingly rare commodity; see Manchester United and Chelsea’s purchases for further proof.

Victor Osimhem was too pricey for anyone, while Lautaro Martinez seems content to remain at Inter Milan, where he is captain.

The main striker linked with Arsenal and any side in need of a frontman was Ivan Toney, but his eight-month ban for gambling breaches put paid to any big-time move for the Brentford man over the summer.

With his return to the game only weeks away, could the Gunners make a move? Brentford would demand an enormous fee and it is a big risk considering his lack of football for over half a year (outside of training). In an alternate universe, he would be the perfect signing.

If that deal can’t be done, what about another English striker making waves this season in Dominic Solanke? Again, Bournemouth would be loathe to lose their most prized asset but would do business if the price was right.

Tipped for greatness from a young age while at Chelsea, the 26-year-old failed to make a mark at Liverpool before eventually moving to the south coast.

Prolific in the Championship for the Cherries, Solanke’s game has gone to a whole new level under Andoni Iraola, with his mid-season tally of 12 from 18 games more than he had managed in more than 90 previous top-flight appearances.

His all-round play would suit the Gunners but, again, there is a risk (there always is in transfers though, isn’t there?). Is Solanke just riding the crest of a wave and thriving as a big fish in a small pond? Or is he finally hitting the heights he once appeared destined for?

Solanke 3 away from Toney’s best NPG total… pic.twitter.com/o8PMgBkWBx

— Kieran (@fxckpgmol) December 23, 2023

Outside of that, it’s slim pickings domestically with there being zero chance of Aston Villa selling Ollie Watkins. What about someone who left England last summer?

Viktor Gyokeres moved from his homeland to Brighton in 2018 but never made an appearance for the Seagulls, going on a series of loans before he found a home with Coventry City. A play-off final loss away from promotion last season, could he finally make his top-flight bow?

His excellent form for the Sky Blues in the Championship has transferred to the Portuguese League with Sporting – 17 goals in 20 games is testament to that.

It appears a misstep that no-one took a punt on him in the summer when he was available for under £20m with his price tag no doubt multiplied now.

Again, a move for a player without any Premier League or Champions League appearance represents a risk, but the reward of regular goals from either him, Toney or Solanke could be worth it all – it’s not as if the Gunners are averse to mid-season signings either, as seen last time around.

As said then, there is no time like the now for Arsenal to strike and land that first title in two decades. They only need to look across north London at Tottenham in the Mauricio Pochettino era to know that these opportunities don’t just come around every season and need to be taken and maximised.

Will the Gunners take a gamble in an attempt to win it all? Or will they stick to their current hand and risk losing it all again?