Support is there for Arsenal but we have ‘limitations’, says boss Mikel Arteta
The Gunners have struggled to turn chances into goals, leading to suggestions they should invest in a new striker.
Mikel Arteta dismissed Ian Wright’s claim that he needs “help” from the Arsenal board to bankroll a new striker – but admitted there are “certain limitations” within his own squad.
Wright, who scored 185 goals for the Gunners, called for Arteta to be backed this month in pursuit of fresh faces after Arsenal drew a blank in a 2-0 defeat against Newcastle in the opening leg of their semi-final Carabao Cup tie.
Arsenal fired 23 shots on goal but landed only three on target, with Kai Havertz guilty of missing a golden chance to haul his side back into the tie when Leandro Trossard’s cross hit his shoulder. Gabriel Martinelli also struck the post when clear through on goal.
Speaking after the match as a pundit for ITV, Wright, 61, said: “You’ve got to look at the board now.
“He (Arteta) needs help. I know it’s very difficult in this January window, but he needs something else because if it’s going to carry on like this, it’s going to be very difficult to score.”
However, responding to Wright’s comments, 48 hours out from his side’s crucial third-round FA Cup clash against Manchester United at the Emirates, Arteta said: “I have so much support from the board.
“I continue to have it, and we are all seeking and willing to do the same thing, which is to win the maximum amount of football matches in the way that we want to play, to achieve the goals we want, which is to win trophies.
“That support continues to be there, but we have certain limitations. We have a lot of gaps and a lot of things to cover to become the team that we want, and then the availability of those players, even if you want them, sometimes it is not possible.
“But we always have discussions with the ones above, discussing how we can improve the team, whether or not the market is open or closed, because we have to plan.”
Prior to their defeat against Newcastle, Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton at the Amex Stadium. Asked if the solution to scoring more goals lies within his crop of players, or the transfer market, Arteta said: “My players. One hundred per cent.
“We don’t use short samples because they don’t correlate to team performance. When you look at the last year or two, team performance, the scores, the amount of players that are involved in goals, then there is no discussion.
“We have to focus on our players. Circumstances change because we have injuries to big players so there is always a possibility.
“But bringing in bodies doesn’t help at all. It needs to be someone who can have an immediate impact on performance and bring something we don’t have. And in this market that is very difficult to achieve.”
Arteta faced criticism for suggesting the Puma ball used in the Carabao Cup against Newcastle impacted his side’s failure to score.
The Gunners will have to adapt to a customised Mitre ball to celebrate United as winners of last season’s competition when they host the holders on Sunday.
“What I said is that every ball is different,” said Arteta. “The (Adidas) Champions League ball is different, it grips differently, flies different, and feels different.
“It’s a reality, and every pitch is different too. Weather conditions change in football. That’s the beauty of it. It is never an excuse.”
