“I think it’s funny because the other day you are watching both games at the same time and when you think about it you say, ‘Wow, Man City really have like two teams basically that could win the Premier League’,” he told BBC Sounds’ Planet Premier League podcast.
“Arsenal don’t in this regard, so for me it’s a bit of everything. Yes, they do need a bit of depth to keep pushing, pushing, pushing during the season and not rely always on Saka or [Declan] Rice or [Thomas] Partey if he’s injured or not or on [William] Saliba.
“But also, in my opinion – and he’s done really, really well but obviously it’s not his main position – Havertz, he’s had a fantastic season, but if Arsenal can manage to get a top, top striker that can guarantee you 30 goals a season, then they will be much, much, much closer to getting it [the title].”
Kai Havertz ended the season as the Gunners’ first-choice striker albeit in a false nine role (
Image:
Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Havertz started the season as the replacement for Granit Xhaka in midfield, but struggled to adapt having played as a forward at Chelsea. Boss Arteta then moved him up-front in a false nine role in which he excelled.
He scored nine goals and notched six assists in the final 14 matches of the season, with Arsenal also looking a far better team. And Arteta has already hinted that he does not believe a new striker is needed.
“We have been the team that has scored more goals in the Premier League. From everywhere, because of the reality is we don’t have a striker that is going to score 35 or 40 goals. So we have to live with that, we have many other qualities,” he said in April.
“Today is a day to stick behind the players, because they have given us so much and have taken us on this journey. I think it’s mentality in those moments [missed chances]. We saw that lack of experience in those moments and not being in that moment that many times.
“There needs to be that little bit more urgency in the closing exchanges. All of these things cost you, but you want to see the ball going into the box and that urgency wasn’t there. That is a lack of experience being in those sort of major games and knowing what to do in those critical moments.”
