Arsenal's Striker Crisis Threatens Champions League Arsenal
The young and talented Ethan Nwaneri could hold the key to unlocking Arsenal's attacking potential, and Arteta's decision on whether to deploy him in a central role could be crucial in determining the team's Champions League fate, with the Arsenal arsenal of players needing to step up to the challenge.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is facing a striker crisis, with his team managing only three shots on target in their last two games, and former player Jermaine Pennant believes deploying Ethan Nwaneri in a central role could be the solution to reignite their attacking thrust, with the 17-year-old's pace and trickery potentially being the arsenal they need to get behind defenders.
Nwaneri has been in impressive form this season, scoring seven goals in all competitions, and Pennant thinks he has the potential to be a game-changer. Arteta has been experimenting with Mikel Merino as a striker, but Pennant feels Merino's defensive style is not the right fit for the role. With a crucial Champions League game against Sporting CP coming up, Arteta may consider making a change to try and solve the striker crisis.
Meanwhile, Arteta is also considering making a change to his starting lineup for the Champions League match, dropping "big-game player" Jorginho for Thomas Partey. Jorginho's struggles to start in back-to-back matches and his poor performance against Nottingham Forest may see him benched, with Partey's high level of passing accuracy and completed short passes making him a strong contender to start against PSV Eindhoven.
As Arsenal face a tough Champions League test, Paul Merson believes they have a "tricky" tie on their hands, and their lack of firepower makes them vulnerable to a defeat. A bad 45 minutes could eliminate them from the competition, and they may face Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals, making the need for a solution to their striker crisis even more pressing.
