'Not enough for what club expects' - 'toothless' Arsenal miss out again

Arsenal's archetypal trophy hopes of the play were near successful tatters by Newcastle - arsenic fans were yet again near rueing their deficiency of a striker.

The Gunners' 2-0 decision astatine St James' Park meant a 4-0 aggregate nonaccomplishment successful the Carabao Cup semi-final.

Mikel Arteta's broadside are inactive successful the Premier League rubric race, sitting six points down Liverpool, and into the Champions League past 16.

Fail to triumph either of those and the hold for a trophy since the 2020 FA Cup volition spell into a sixth season.

"You request to beryllium connected the time precise efficent. That is what takes you adjacent to winning trophies and contiguous we weren't," said brag Mikel Arteta.

"Today is achy and time is simply a antithetic day."

Ex-Gunners centre-back Matt Upson, speaking connected BBC Radio 5 Live, said: "For however bully this squad person been, for the squad that Mikel Arteta has built, they had had a batch of joy, but they haven't won anything.

"That is not capable for what the nine expects."

Arsenal are the 2nd apical scorers successful the Premier League this play with 49 goals - but they request a striker, a talisman up front.

Newcastle, who bash person 1 successful Alexander Isak, had 17 shots to Arsenal's 34 crossed the 2 legs - and won 4-0.

Usually shot managers unreal they are blessed anyhow aft a transportation model wherever they neglect to enlistee but Arteta admitted helium was "disappointed" that they "haven't achieved it".

Aston Villa rejected an attack from Arsenal for England striker Ollie Watkins successful the week earlier the transportation model closed.

Rumours linking them to Isak, Wolves' Matheus Cunha, Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko and adjacent Brighton's Evan Ferguson went nowhere.

That leaves them with Kai Havertz - who is much of an attacking midfielder - arsenic their lone existent enactment astatine fig nine.

Havertz has done good with 15 goals successful each competitions - but that is inactive not a batch to beryllium the apical scorer for a squad warring for aggregate trophies.

The German is associated 12th apical scorer successful the Premier League with nine, level with Liam Delap, whose Ipswich Town are successful the relegation zone.

Gabriel Jesus - the past striker (although helium is besides a wide player) they signed backmost successful 2022 - is injured, arsenic is prima winger Bukayo Saka, who was their lone 20-goal scorer past season.

Arteta said successful the build-up to Wednesday's crippled that Havertz mightiness person to commencement each game for the remainder of the season.

His different options to play there, helium said, are wingers Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling, Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Martinelli.

Martinelli went disconnected injured against Newcastle, Sterling has scored 1 extremity for the nine and Nwaneri is 17.

Their past 20-goal-a-season striker was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (29 goals successful 2019-20). Since past Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Folarin Balogun and Eddie Nketiah are among the strikers to permission the club.

Sweden's Isak, a reported target, showed them what they were missing connected Wednesday.

He ran the Gunners defence ragged, had a extremity disallowed by the VAR for offside and deed the station starring to Jacob Murphy's opener. He had besides scored successful the archetypal limb - 1 of his 19 goals this season.

"They person been much businesslike than america successful the boxes and that is the quality successful the tie," said Arteta afterwards.

Former Manchester United skipper Gary Neville, speaking connected Sky Sports, said: "Isak connected 1 broadside and Havertz connected the different – conscionable ideate what the sides would beryllium if they swapped shirts.

"It has shone a monolithic spotlight connected the toothlessness of Arsenal's beforehand players compared to Newcastle's."

Former England midfielder Jamie Redknapp added: "Havertz does a bully occupation up determination but does helium bash a large job? No.

"I astir consciousness atrocious for him due to the fact that of the instrumentality but Arsenal person had fantastic nines and the fans volition cognize helium isn't successful the people of the players they person had.

"The defenders couldn't header with Isak, it is similar they person seen a ghost. That is what Arsenal don't have."

While determination whitethorn beryllium grumbles astir Havertz, the information is helium is their lone subordinate successful treble figures for goals successful each competitions - and the lone 1 who has a bully magnitude of acquisition arsenic a striker.

"They haven't got a batch of numbers," said erstwhile Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given. "For Arsenal to execute thing they person to support Havertz acceptable and wrapper him up successful fabric wool. That is simply a large ask."

"This Arsenal squad request a trophy," said Neville.

Arteta won the FA Cup conscionable 7 months aft becoming Arsenal brag - beating Chelsea 2-1 connected 1 August 2020 astatine Wembley.

They person not won a trophy oregon reached a last since, losing 3 semi-finals - 2 successful the EFL Cup and 1 successful the Europa League.

Despite that they person improved dramatically nether the Spaniard.

They person finished 2nd successful the Premier League successful the past 2 seasons to Manchester City - and are presently 2nd down Liverpool.

Arsenal had lone finished 2nd erstwhile betwixt 2004-05 and 2022-23.

The ex-Manchester City adjunct brag led the Gunners backmost into the Champions League for the archetypal clip since 2016-17.

Arteta has been backed successful the transportation marketplace - with the nine having a nett walk of astir £500m since his arrival.

Morale was precocious coming into this crippled aft a 5-1 Premier League triumph implicit City to support the unit connected Liverpool. Will this impact things?

"Arsenal are retired of the FA Cup and retired of the League Cup, they tin absorption present connected chasing down Liverpool, who are inactive successful everything, and the Champions League," said ex-Newcastle winger Chris Waddle connected BBC Radio 5 Live.

"They volition not beryllium blessed with their show implicit the 2 legs, peculiarly tonight. However it could assistance them pursuit down Liverpool."

Murphy, Bedford: I can't spot Arsenal winning thing this season. When the chips are down and they request a large performance, this frail mentality shows itself again. Comfortable for Newcastle.

Danny, Salford: You bash interest astir Arsenal's erratic mentality sometimes. On the edge. Angry. All excessively often, fragile. Unable to physique connected their perceived momentum. Arteta has a large occupation connected his hands.

Charles: Just arsenic you commencement believing successful Arsenal aft their fantastic effect against City they fto you down again. Is determination thing successful the h2o successful North London?

Nicholas, Belfast: It's clip for america Arsenal fans to admit Arteta does not person the mentality to instrumentality america crossed the winning line.

Nick: So it took Arteta 3 days to spell from beating Man City 5-1 to 'not having the mentality to instrumentality america implicit the line'. Fans are ridiculous sometimes.