Burnley Draw Highlights Need for Fox in the Box

Burnley are currently sitting 20th in the Premier League table. Dead last. They have won 1 game out of the 18 they have played. So how do Arsenal not beat them?

You could blame it on the refereeing, of course. Between Westwood practically elbowing Gabriel whilst on a yellow (no second yellow) and Westwood sinking his studs into Tierney’s calf (no red card), as an Arsenal fan you can almost ensure that if the roles were reversed and Granit Xhaka was the one making the tackle that a red card would be hoisted into the air in an instant.

Let’s look at the facts though: Burnley played us perfectly. Jamming the box with 8 players is the perfect way to play against Arsenal. It forces the ball wide and even though Martinelli and Saka are great on the ball, getting 2 or 3 players clogging up their space forces them to cross the ball into the box, aiming for…

Alexandre Lacazette. All 5 feet and 9 inches of Alexandre Lacazette.

After watching the second leg of the Carabao Cup against Liverpool and now this game against Burnley, it is obvious that Arsenal need to look for an alternative striker if they want to have any hope of making Top 4.

United have Ronaldo and Cavani. Spurs have Kane and Son. West Ham have Antonio. Leicester have Vardy and Iheanacho.

Arsenal have Lacazette and Nketiah.

It doesn’t take a genius to see that Arsenal need to sign a striker in this window. Even a Spurs fan could figure it out, and that’s saying something.

Could it be Vlahovic? Arsenal have been rumoured to be placing multiple bids and with Fiorentina wanting to buy Torreira it only strengthens our case. The Serbs last home game looked an awful lot like his last due to his mannerisms and actions and the exclusion of him from Fiorentina’s recent starting XI suggests that he is on the move. If he makes his way to the Emirates the Gunners are in prime position to reclaim Champions League football. However, recent reports state that Isak is practically already signing with Juventus. Gut wrenching.

Could it be Isak? The Swede has been linked with Arsenal since the Euros and seems to be a great fit for Arteta’s playstyle. The only doubt is his goalscoring record, scoring only 4 times in 17 appearances in Spain.

For more possible strikers refer to ‘8 Players to Sign in the January Transfer Window’ (click here).

Whoever it is though, the quicker they can pull on a red shirt and get onto the pitch the better. With around a week left in the window, one thing is certain: Arteta and Edu must work quickly before Arsenal’s Top 4 chances run out.