Column: Isak exactly what Arsenal are missing, Cunha interest could be revived this summer & more | OneFootball

Alexander Isak shows Arsenal what they’re missing

If ever there was a game that made it abundantly clear what Arsenal need to do in the transfer market between now and the end of the month it was the one we witnessed against Newcastle last night.

On chances, it was a game Arsenal should have won. Quite comfortably in fact. But in the end it was one they lost with a bit of a whimper.

Why? Because Mikel Arteta’s wasteful side could have played for hours without scoring one of the many opportunities that fell for them during the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, while at the other end Newcastle – and Alexander Isak in particular- gave them a lesson in finishing.

Arteta bemoaned his side’s wastefulness after the 2-0 defeat. “If you look at what both teams produced, it’s not a result that reflects the story of the game. But the reality is that they were super efficient with the chances that they had and we weren’t.”

The fact is though that this is nothing new. It’s the story of the season for Arsenal. Yes, they have scored plenty of goals and produced some big wins. But there have also now been 13 games in all competitions where they have scored just one goal in a game or failed to score altogether. That’s 13 games out of 30, just under half.

That just isn’t good enough and paints a clear picture about the inefficiency of the squad. They clearly lack players with that killer instinct in front of goal.

Newcastle have one in Isak. Arsenal don’t. It’s as simple as that. Isak showed everyone exactly what Arsenal are missing and it was impossible to ignore.

Opta stats showed that Arsenal closed the first leg of the semi-final with 3.12 expected goals, that’s the highest figure a Premier League side has registered this season in a game in which they have failed to score.

Simply put, if Arsenal had an Isak in their side last night, they would have one foot in the final right now. Instead they are facing up to a painful semi-final exit and more questions about why they haven’t done more to add to their attack.

The need for at least one new attacking option is clear for all to see and if they don’t find one in this January transfer window, it’s very hard to see them being able to go on and claim the silverware that the manager, the players and the supporters crave.

You have to be clinical when the big moments arrive in big games. If you are not, then you will end up with nothing.

Arsenal took a big gamble in the summer when they resisted the urge to spend any money on their attack. When Benjamin Sesko said no to them they had plenty of time to go for other options. But they decided to keep their money and to go again with what they already had, aside from the last minute addition of Raheem Sterling on loan of course.

It’s a gamble that has clearly backfired.

With three weeks of January window still remaining they do have a chance to at least try and right the wrongs of the summer. If they don’t take that chance, it’s tough to see them having enough to get themselves over the line in any of the competitions they still have eyes on.

The latest on Arsenal’s pursuit of Matheus Cunha

So, the end result of Arsenal’s interest in Matheus Cunha looks set to be the Brazilian landing a fat new contact with Wolves, albeit with a release clause reportedly being inserted in it should the Midlands outfit get relegated.

It makes sense for Wolves, who will be able to command a greater fee for their biggest asset, but it also makes sense for Cunha as it gives him a pay rise, while also leaving him an exit route out of Molineux if things go wrong in the future.

I don’t see why this new contract would rule out the possibility of a move to Arsenal in the summer. I think Cunha looks ready to make a move to a top four club, whether that be to Arsenal or someone else and I’m sure it will happen soon.

In a way it’s a bit similar to the Benjamin Sesko situation. He also signed a new deal last summer when Arsenal were in for him, but that hasn’t put an end to Arsenal’s interest in the RB Leipzig striker and I wouldn’t be shocked if they revisit a possible move for him at some point.

Matheus Cunha celebrates scoring for Wolves (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Arsenal already have their plans for the summer window in place. Mikel Arteta travelled to the United States before Christmas along with interim sporting director Jason Ayto and manager director Richard Garlick to meet with the Kroenkes to map out his hopes for the summer.

The big thing now is whether Arsenal can fast track any of those plans and bring them forward to this month, because they desperately need at least one new addition up front for the second half of the campaign.

Even if it means overpaying to get a deal done now, rather than waiting for the summer, I think it would be worth it given Bukayo Saka’s injury and some of the other issues the squad is facing.

Ethan Nwaneri has shown his quality, but his injury is a reminder that he needs to be managed carefully

I loved the way Ethan Nwaneri took his goal against Brighton on Saturday.

The intent he showed when he raced onto Mikel Merino’s pass was really impressive. He showed real initiative and drive to get himself into the box and get his shot away.

Some players of his age might have looked to pass on the responsibility to someone else in that situation, but not Nwaneri. He backed himself and he got his reward.

To be honest, I don’t actually think he had the best of performances aside from that one moment. I’m not sure if he was hampered a bit by the injury issue that forced him off at half-time, but he struggled to beat his full-back throughout the first half.

He received the ball in some decent positions a few times, but never really looked like he had the beating of his man in a one-on-one situation.

We don’t know yet how long Nwaneri will be out for with this injury that he picked up, but Mikel Arteta’s comments after the game did not sound too promising.

Hopefully, he will not be sidelined for too long because he has shown he can make things happen over the right hand side in the absence of Bukayo Saka.

He had a great game against Brentford and even though he struggled a bit at Brighton, he still made an impact when he got a sight of goal.

And that’s what Arsenal need. Everyone has to contribute while Saka is out and Nwaneri has now proven he can do that, whether that’s with his delivery from out wide or with his ability to score himself.

I don’t think you can really say he has to be ‘first choice’ all the time to replace Saka though. That’s just too much for a 17-year-old, mentally and physically really.

The fact that he has just picked up a muscular problem after starting two successive Premier League games is a good example of that.

He still needs to be managed and that has to be done carefully. But when he is fit, it’s clear he has a big part to play between now and the end of the season.

Thomas Partey has been Arsenal’s best midfielder – so what’s the latest on his future?

It feels like Thomas Partey’s contract situation is going to become a source of real debate as the season goes on.

Partey has shown with his performances this season that he can still perform at the highest level and perhaps, more importantly, he has shown that his body can still stand up to the demands of a Premier League season.

But he will be 32 by the start of next season, so I can understand why Arsenal would be reluctant to offer him a big new deal.

He’s one of the club’s biggest earners and his past injury history is enough to suggest that an extension for the midfielder would be a risk.

I think a big part of what happens will revolve around Partey himself. He will probably get offers from abroad that will be far more lucrative and far longer than what he will be offered by Arsenal, should they even opt to offer him new terms.

So that will leave him with a big decision to make as he gets towards the latter stages of his career.

I know that Partey is happy at Arsenal, but that doesn’t mean he will stay if he gets a better offer elsewhere.

What his performances have shown this season though is that when fully fit he can still play a major part in this Arsenal side.

He’s been Arsenal’s best midfielder, there’s no doubt about that and that’s why there is always a lot of frustration from fans when he is asked to fill-in at right-back by Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal do need to shake things up a bit in midfield. Like Partey, Jorginho will be out of contract in the summer and I think he will definitely go.

Mikel Merino has come in and done OK, but the jury still remains out on that signing. He’s a tidy player and I do think there is quite a bit more to come from him, but it’s been a slow start to his Arsenal career and he needs to show he can be a bigger influence on games when he plays, especially in the final third.

I haven’t seen enough from him yet to think he can make himself a guaranteed starter over the next couple of seasons. Important squad player, yes. But no more than that.

So there is certainly the need for at least one new addition in the central areas over the next couple of windows, even if Partey does end up staying.