WITH Thierry Henry in his pomp, Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal went 49 Prem games unbeaten from May 2003 to October 2004.
Over two decades on, Mikel Arteta’s Gunners are in danger of seeing their season unravel in spectacular style after just ONE goal from 49 shots across two games.
GettyThierry Henry fired Arsenal to Prem glory during his pomp[/caption]
APKai Havertz has endured a rough period in front of goal for the Gunners recently[/caption]
The difference? Among other things, an elite scorer like club legend Henry who netted 39 league goals in that record-breaking 17-month stretch.
It is no surprise then that another Arsenal hero Martin Keown has told Arteta that a world class striker would be the “icing on the cake” in his drive to achieve greatness at the club.
And as for confidence-shot forward Kai Havertz – ahead of a mammoth North London Derby clash with Tottenham tomorrow night – the German has been warned: step up or face the chop.
Frenchman Henry – Mr Va Va Voom – strutted his stuff as Arsenal’s snarling goal machine during that 49-game run 21 years ago, which included lifting the 2004 Prem title as Invincibles.
The unbeaten streak ended at Old Trafford at the hands of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in controversial fashion thanks to Ruud van Nistelrooy’s emphatic penalty.
And in another spicy meeting between the two sides on Sunday, spot-kicks settled an FA Cup third round tie at the Emirates, this time ending with Joshua Zirkzee’s shoot-out-winning strike.
But in truth, Arsenal were their own worst enemies, and not for the first time, scoring just once from 26 shots, having failed to find the net from 23 shots in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg 2-0 defeat to Newcastle on home soil.
Havertz – who has seven goals in 17 Prem outings so far – wasted a hatful of glaring chances against a struggling 10-man United side before missing in the shoot-out.
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Skipper Martin Odegaard also missed a 12-yarder in the 72nd minute with the score at 1-1.
Arteta has insisted his current crop have an eye for goal, citing broken scoring records over the past two years – bagging 114 goals in 2024 at their highest rate [2.28 per game] since 1963.
Injuries have hampered progress too. Bukayo Saka is out until at least March following hamstring surgery, while Gabriel Jesus is also facing a lengthy lay-off after being carried off on a stretcher with a knee injury against United.
Scans this week are set to reveal the worst.
But Arteta’s cries for calm and patience are falling on deaf ears, while piercing eyes are turning to co-owners Stan and Josh Kroenke to invest in one defining reinforcement.
Invincible Keown – who won two league titles alongside Henry in 2002 and 2004 – told SunSport: “The foundations are there for Arsenal to be successful.
“But the icing on the cake is the goal scorer. That’s the player they’re needing now. The final third is where the money needs to be spent and it has to be the right person.
“They need that knock-out punch and you need a striker to do that to get that belief back. The squad looks very thin.
“Arteta is ruthless enough to give players a chance and then make necessary changes if they don’t produce or step up. He’s striving for greatness. He wants to be a winner.”
Arsenal may be in a good place financially, but they are not in a position to fork out over £100m for top target and Toon sensation Alexander Isak, nor are they willing to rip up their wage structure for a promising talent like Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams.
This search could end up being Arteta’s Achilles heel after five years in the job, even if Arsenal remain in the hunt for silverware this term, six points off Prem leaders Liverpool – who have a game in hand – and the chance to salvage their Carabao Cup hopes at St James’ Park next month.
And with rivals Spurs up next, Keown – speaking on behalf of TNT Sports – added: “Arsenal have had a disastrous week, a nightmare season, but you need a special group of players with an inner drive to find a way to win.
“You can’t feel sorry for yourself. Wounded animals are dangerous and you have to use that as oxygen.”
***Watch Arsenal v Spurs live on TNT Sports 1 from 6.30pm on Wednesday 15th January. TNT Sports is available through its streaming destination discovery+ and across all major TV platforms. Find out more here***
ReutersArteta will be praying for no more injuries[/caption]
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