October 11th 2023.
Arsenal legend Ian Wright has identified Ivan Toney as the 'final piece of the jigsaw' for Mikel Arteta's side. The Gunners went joint-top of the Premier League on Sunday with a 1-0 win against rivals Manchester City, courtesy of a deflected Gabriel Martinelli strike.
Despite their impressive start to the campaign, Arsenal have lacked firepower up front and have relied heavily on goals from wide areas through Bukayo Saka. Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus have five goals between them, however, neither player has yet managed to solidify their position as first choice central striker. Jesus was guilty of squandering a golden chance in a 2-2 draw against Tottenham, which would have put Arsenal 2-0 up.
Toney is keen on leaving Brentford and Wright believes he would be the perfect addition to the team in January. The Arsenal legend told the Stick to Football podcast: "It's blatantly obvious for everyone to see that with that focal point and that player that scores that it takes you somewhere else. You can't question the endeavour of both of these players [Jesus and Nketiah] but in the moments that you look back at the Tottenham game with the Jesus chance. A player of his level, that calibre, to get into that position 1-0 up against Tottenham in the North London derby, those chances have to be buried.
"I believe that Arsenal in what we're trying to do now – the margins are so small now – you cannot afford to miss those chances and not win those games. What I'm seeing with Eddie is that he's working his socks off and there's not really chances being made for him. The Toney links don't go away because you can see that's probably the last bit in the jigsaw. It's obvious for everyone to see that this is the last piece. He will do it if it can be done."
Wright is confident that Toney will be the missing piece for Arsenal and help them compete for silverware. With Arteta's side now joint-top in the Premier League, the addition of a prolific striker could be just what the team needs to challenge for the title.
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