Arsenal’s lack of a top-class striker will hold Mikel Arteta back from emulating the likes of Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola. That is the verdict of former Gunners forward Niall Quinn, who believes the Gunners boss can have a huge impact on the Premier League if given the right tools.
Arteta had early success in his Arsenal reign, winning the FA Cup just eight months after he was appointed. However, outside of the Community Shield, the north Londoners are yet to win another major piece of silverware.
Last season saw them come close to ending a 19-year wait for a Premier League title. After leading the table for most of the campaign, they fell short in the closing stages.
Quinn, who had a seven-year spell as a player at Highbury, has been seriously impressed with Arteta since he took over at Arsenal. He claims the Spaniard has the potential to influence the English top flight just as Wenger did and Guardiola is doing.
Quinn exclusively told Ladbrokes Fanzone: “Arsenal and Arsene changed the way the game was played. Man City under Pep changed it years later.
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“And I think Arteta has his team, next in there, ready to go and be the next ones to change things. Jurgen Klopp is in a different position right now because of player turnover; three years ago I thought Liverpool were going to be around for 10 years, it looked as if everything was all set but then they had that awful season, and I still think they’re a little bit hit and miss.
“But what Arsenal and Arteta have, I think, is a foundation to come in and challenge Man City for the title. Please don’t say I’m writing off Liverpool, because I’m not.
“As an ex-Arsenal man, I enjoy watching them again, I really do. If Arsenal are playing, I know it’s going to be a good game; I know I’m going to be entertained.”
However, Quinn admits there are still areas Arsenal need to improve, with striker being one of them. The Gunners are said to be in the market for a new frontman, with Brentford’s Ivan Toney a top target.
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Quinn says the lack of a prolific goalscoring forward will prevent Arteta from reaching the heights he thinks he can get to. The Irishman added: “The big thing, for me though, is the need for a striker.
“Whether you’re playing the way Pep Guardiola plays, or any other team in the division, you need to have a striker scoring goals. That’s what I’d like at Arsenal.
“Put it this way, if Erling Haaland was loaned to Arsenal for the rest of the season, I’d absolutely be backing them to win the league! That’s the one area that may just hold them back.
“Goals are everything; it’s never changed. I can remember being told that when I went to Arsenal in 1983, and here we are, 40 years later, and we’re still saying it. Goals are everything.”
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