Declan Rice has dismissed suggestions that Arsenal need an upgrade in the number 9 position and says there are plenty of options and goals in the existing squad.
After limping through the post-Christmas schedule scoring once in three defeats and missing a hatful of chances along the way, you couldn’t get a word in edgeways for all the discussion of the Gunners striker issues.
In a remarkable turnaround, Mikel Arteta’s squad have blasted their way back into the title race, returning from a mid-January training camp in Dubai to record a seven-game winning streak thanks to a 35-goal haul.
As was the case last season, the goals have been shared around the camp. Bukayo Saka leads the way with 16 in all competitions, Leandro Trossard has hit 10 while the likes of Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz could all reach double figures in the coming weeks.
Rice has also gotten in on the action with last night’s strike against Sheffield United taking his tally to six – the best he’s managed in a single Premier League campaign. After the match, he was pressed on the club’s recent scoring feats.
“I think there was a narrative that we weren’t creating chances, that we needed a number 9, but in all honesty, we have been playing like this all year. All season we have been playing really well,” he told the Evening Standard.
“The goals weren’t as free-flowing as they are now, but that was never a problem that we needed a number 9, because we have got Gabi [Jesus], we have got Kai [Havertz], we have got Eddie [Nketiah] and we have got Leo [Trossard], who can play as a false nine.
“Goals are going to come, so I don’t think that has ever been a big problem.
“I think now we are really in our groove and we are looking really threatening in front of goal.”
While Arsenal are currently on track to beat last season’s record total of goals (88 in the Premier League), it’s likely the club will look to recruit in the attacking department in the summer; if not for a lack of firepower, but because Gabriel Jesus has a knee made of rice pudding.
In a recent discussion about the summer transfer window, The Athletic’s David Ornstein claimed Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig), Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting Lisbon) and Evan Ferguson (Brighton) are admired. Whether that leads to concrete approaches remains to be seen.
I won’t pretend I know much about the strikers we’re being linked with. Gyokeres has had the YouTube treatment though and has a had a decent season so far.
I think he looks most likely. Amazing he was at Coventry last season….
One consequence of our electrifying current form is forgetting just how good those who have been recently absent from the team are: Gabi’s knee hopefully is actually sturdier than rice pudding, but even last night when he came in he showed flashes of the brilliance that blew us away last season. He could be vital in the next two months are so – as could Tomi and Zinny.
Also past players. Guendouzi plays for Lazio, now! Fun times.
We need a striker. Eddie is basically done at Arsenal, Arteta has lost faith. That’s not a knock on Havertz or Jesus, it’s just numbers. Another top quality forward/striker provides depth at the wing position. Jesus can play all across the front three with little dip in quality. Without doubt, an injury to Saka (or Martinelli) would have a massive impact on the rest of our season. An extra forward is really the added depth we need to take some of these pressure away.
Why do I think Rice is eyeing the striker position😁
Haha
Great to see Declan Rice further up the pitch. I tell you the time will come when we need a goal in this run in and if the ball is to fall to anyone I’d want it to be Declan
Happy to look like a flat earther in the circumstances but we do need a No. 9. There is a reason why Man City has Haaland, Real Madrid had Benzema when Ronaldo was there, Barcelona had Luiz Suarez when Ronaldo and Neymar were there.
….Luiz Suarez when Messi and Neymar were there.
Citeh won the Premier League 5 out of 6 years without Haaland. I think we need depth along the front line and more quality than Eddie can provide, but I’m really getting tired of the “Arsenal need a striker” narrative.
And not only that, but with Gabby Christ as the ostensible number 9! And with Arteta there as assistant coach for a number of those seasons! It does my head in that people seem to have forgotten this!!
Gabby Christ was there at the same time as a guy called Aguero. When Guardiola came, he tried to put Jesus ahead of Aguero saying that nobody plays the pressing game better than him. By the end of the season old Aguero was back because of the goals.
An out and out striker probably messes with our fine tuned machine too much right now.
That’s actually a pretty great point, not a lot of consideration for what we lose from this team, by purchasing a centre forward
Well, he did say we have 4 false 9s.
I think the point of people saying we need a striker is the idea that he shouldn’t be “false”.
But for now I will default to “Arteta knows best”. We are top scorers in the PL after all.
Who needs a ST when we have the great Eddie “you can’t criticize” Nketiah.
I know, it’s infuriating the amount of minutes he has had in 2024!
Agreed mate, anything against Eddie will not be tolerated by both the moderators of this blog, both named as Andrew and that bloke who pretends to be tech savvy – Tom.
What are you on about?
Dude, please don’t get personal with anyone. I was just referring about the general people here.
The only striker i would like to see Arsenal sign from the EPL is Ollie Watkins and Lautaro Martinez from EU..
Lautaro martinez would really suit us. I never really liked him in the past but the way we play now he gives me trossard Jesus vibes but with serious output. He won’t leave Inter if he has a choice.
I would like a striker but I just don’t know who is out there that would add goals and not take from style of play.
Peak van persie would be classs with us if he wasn’t a c**t
I am 50/50 on a new striker if we keep banging then in like this. However we definitely need excellent cover for Saka and a replacement for Partey at the very least!
Remains to be seen whether they can keep it up (let’s be fair, though, this is too high of a standard to hold any team to – if they can keep scoring 2/3 per game that would be great).
If they don’t, it’s times like those Liverpool are going through, where you need a quality striker to bail out your team. It’s not for the times the rest of the team are doing well.
Trossard is a very good replacement for Saka. We beat City without Saka. We just need a TP6 replacement. ESR can play on the left. Vieria in odegard position. Jesus kai can interchange. We are very light in the middle though. With Elneny probably gone, Jorginho on the wrong side of age, TP’s injuries and Kai not being a proper CM, leaves us with Rice being th only one. We need atleast two top quality CMs.
I also do not think that Jesus and Zinny should automatically walk back into the team, especially as Kiwior is having a stormer at the moment!
I don’t think we need to roll out a giant wheelbarrow of cash for the most expensive option out there.
BUT…Eddie is pretty inconsistent and yet to convince at the top level. Jesus has had injury issues (though his versatility makes him a good backup to Saka&Martinelli). Yes, Trossard and Havertz seem to be decent options at the moment, but also seems like we’re a couple injuries and/or a dry spell away from looking pretty thin. If we can find a good option for a not-outrageous amount, feels like it would be a good move.
Despite all the goals we’ve scored we still do need to sign a striker.
A target man-type forward would give us another dimension. We don’t score that many goals from headers in open play.
It looks like our season will boil down to that match in Manchester against City. Win there and we have a great chance of winning the title.
But City are still favourites as far as I’m concerned.
Just a quick question. I can’t find anywhere that says he Declan Rice has scored 6 goals this season. Has he scored for England? I can only see 5 goals and 7 assists in all comps (1 assist in the CL).