Mikel Arteta is facing the consequences of Arsenal’s failure to strengthen in January (Image: GETTY)
is paying a heavy price for ‘s failure to sign one or two quality players on loan in the January transfer window.
The north Londoners will almost certainly be denied Premier League glory at the end of the season, having fallen 11 points behind in the title race.
Their hopes of turning the tide were dealt a hammer blow on Saturday as West Ham claimed a smash-and-grab victory at the Emirates Stadium against the odds.
It gave the opportunity to extend their advantage against , with the Reds claiming all three points at the expense of the reigning champions.
Arsenal have been left without a striker following injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Have (Image: GETTY)
have not been helped by injuries to key players, with and Gabriel Jesus likely to be sidelined for the rest of the season. It has left them without a recognised striker, given their failure to sign a forward in January.
Several big names were linked with the Gunners, including the likes of PSG duo Randal Kolo Muani and Marco Asensio. The club’s hierarchy failed to act, though, and Arteta is now facing the consequences.
Both players ended up securing loan moves elsewhere, with Kolo Muani making the switch to Juventus. He has enjoyed a flying start to life in Italy, bagging five goals in his opening four games.
Asensio, meanwhile, has impressed at Aston Villa following his move to Villa Park on the final day of the January window. On the weekend, he marked his first league start for his new club by scoring both goals in a comeback win over .
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It seems clear that either player would have been an upgrade on ‘s current attacking options, with Mikel Merino being forced to deputise as a striker against West Ham.
He struggled to lead the line and did not seem to know which runs to make, leaving without a cutting edge in attack. It raised further questions over their failure to land a forward in January, a decision which looks more baffling by the day.
Unfortunately for , it is now too late to go back and correct their past mistakes. They will be forced to cope with the players at their disposal until the end of the season, which is likely to result in having the last laugh in the title race.
The only way they can spin it into a positive would be to learn from their shortcomings ahead of next season, in case they find themselves in a similar situation.