Arsenal are the second top scorers in the Premier League this season with 49 goals – but they need a striker, a talisman up front.
Newcastle, who do have one in Alexander Isak, had 17 shots to Arsenal’s 34 across the two legs – and won 4-0.
Usually football managers pretend they are happy anyway after a transfer window where they fail to recruit but Arteta admitted he was “disappointed” that they “haven’t achieved it”.
Aston Villa rejected an approach from Arsenal for England striker Ollie Watkins in the week before the transfer window closed.
Rumours linking them to Isak, Wolves’ Matheus Cunha, Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and even Brighton’s Evan Ferguson went nowhere.
That leaves them with Kai Havertz – who is more of an attacking midfielder – as their only real option at number nine.
Havertz has done well with 15 goals in all competitions – but that is still not a lot to be the top scorer for a team fighting for multiple trophies.
The German is joint 12th top scorer in the Premier League with nine, level with Liam Delap, whose Ipswich Town are in the relegation zone.
Gabriel Jesus – the last striker (although he is also a wide player) they signed back in 2022 – is injured, as is star winger Bukayo Saka, who was their only 20-goal scorer last season.
Arteta said in the build-up to Wednesday’s game that Havertz might have to start every game for the rest of the season.
His other options to play there, he said, are wingers Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling, Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Martinelli.
Martinelli went off injured against Newcastle, Sterling has scored one goal for the club and Nwaneri is 17.
Their last 20-goal-a-season striker was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (29 goals in 2019-20). Since then Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Folarin Balogun and Eddie Nketiah are among the strikers to leave the club.
Sweden’s Isak, a reported target, showed them what they were missing on Wednesday.
He ran the Gunners defence ragged, had a goal disallowed by the VAR for offside and hit the post leading to Jacob Murphy’s opener. He had also scored in the first leg – one of his 19 goals this season.
“They have been more efficient than us in the boxes and that is the difference in the tie,” said Arteta afterwards.
Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville, speaking on Sky Sports, said: “Isak on one side and Havertz on the other – just imagine what the sides would be if they swapped shirts.
“It has shone a massive spotlight on the toothlessness of Arsenal’s front players compared to Newcastle’s.”
Former England midfielder Jamie Redknapp added: “Havertz does a good job up there but does he do a great job? No.
“I almost feel sorry for him because of the stick but Arsenal have had wonderful nines and the fans will know he isn’t in the class of the players they have had.
“The defenders couldn’t cope with Isak, it is like they have seen a ghost. That is what Arsenal don’t have.”
While there may be grumbles about Havertz, the fact is he is their only player in double figures for goals in all competitions – and the only one who has a good amount of experience as a striker.
“They haven’t got a lot of numbers,” said former Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given. “For Arsenal to achieve anything they have to keep Havertz fit and wrap him up in cotton wool. That is a big ask.”
