Rio Ferdinand says Arsenal need a 'lethal weapon' up front to fix goalscoring problems

Martin Keown and Rio Ferdinand believe that Arsenal are not scoring enough goals to challenge for the Premier League this season.

Arsenal were five points behind Liverpool in the Premier League ahead of their early kick-off match with Crystal Palace at the Emirates, and speaking on TNT Sports, the two former defenders were in agreement.

Mikel Arteta’s men have 37 goals so far, the worst return of any club in the top five, but Keown thinks that if they can start finding the net more regularly, they could then win the league.

Asked if they still had a chance, Keown said: “Of course I do. If you look at the table, Manchester City have only won one ore game than Arsenal, and everyone is saying Manchester City can still win it, of course Arsenal can do that.

“Today’s a critical day, when they have to wake up and start scoring goals. If they don’t, then they’re too far away from that race.”

Keown thought the players should move on from recent disappointments in order to rediscover their confidence in front of goal.

He said: “I do feel it’s a good idea to draw a line on what’s gone on before, and start again, and the belief has to be oozing through these players to get a result, because as you saw Roy [Crystal Palace manager, Hodgson] there, how determined he is.

“They’re almost the last team you want to play against because of the way they normally play - 4-4-2. I’m surprised Roy’s gone with that system [3-5-2], it’s quite a brave move. The onus is on Arsenal to break down their opponent today - that’s where the problem is right now for Arsenal.”

Ferdinand accepted Arsenal had tightened up at the back this season and praised the defence, along with Declan Rice, but thought that they could not match City for quality up front.

He said: “I think Manchester City are the team who have set the benchmark this season. Their top goalscorer, Erling Haaland, got 14 goals. He got injured, the next man came in, he got six, [Julian] Alvarez. The second striker at City is the same level as the top striker at Arsenal.

“You look at the front positions and there’s not enough goals. You’ve got to score goals. Yes, defensively, they’ve shored it up, Declan Rice has been a great addition, the two centre-backs are becoming a great partnership. You have to find a balance for the team, and up front they haven’t found the lethal weapon.”

Keown thought that Arteta was planning to give forwards Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus the chance to show they can improve over the rest of the season, and would not move in the transfer market for reinforcements.

He said: "I think it’s about giving the players time who are here, so Havertz came, fulfilling that role. More recently, hasn’t quite worked. We know that Jesus, when the manager was signing him, he wasn’t that prolific at Man City. It’s about giving this group a chance.

"I don't think they’ll go into the transfer market in the January window. It doesn’t mean they won’t do it in the summer. He’s made major decisions at this football club already so he’s not frightened to do that, but he’ll give this group another chance, and they’ve got to wake up now in front of goal.

"It’s been troubling, it’s been worrying for the Arsenal fans, and this man Jesus is the one that really most of all, you’re starting to wonder is his confidence gone. Hopefully that’s restored now, his belief he’s returned to the group."

Keown suggested that the Brazilian should focus on goalscoring rather than involving himself across the pitch, adding: "Maybe to a certain extent he needs to do less to do more. I see him offering himself all over the pitch, left and right, Those players, the Ian Wrights, the [Dennis] Bergkamps, the [Thierry] Henrys, they get past defenders, and have the belief to win games."

Ferdinand pointed out that other players had also been less effective in front of goal last season.

"Last season, [Martin] Odegaard and [Gabriel] Martinelli, 15 goals each," he noted. "You’ve got to find goals, they haven’t added goals in the transfer window. They’ve got a bit more steel within the squad. Jesus, I’ve interviewed him and spoken to him off camera about being more selfish.

"When you think about strikers over the years, who played here, Ian Wright, Thierry Henry, they had that selfish streak in them about scoring goals and wanting to be the top gunslinger at this club. I don’t see that here at the moment, and as good as he is in all other areas."

He thought Jesus should "stay in the 18 yard box. I think Jesus is one of the players who if he scored but wasn’t involved and didn’t play well, he wouldn’t enjoy it. Whereas the players we’re talking about, the goalscorers, they can play terrible but get a goal and leave the most ecstatic player in the stadium. That’s the big difference between him and those kinds of players."

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