December 29th 2023.
Owen Hargreaves believes Arsenal's 2-0 defeat to West Ham on Thursday evening is indicative of the need for a new striker and left-back in order to help the Gunners' Premier League title ambitions. Despite dominating the majority of the game, with 77 touches inside West Ham's box - the most on record since 2008 for a team who failed to score - Arsenal were unable to break down the Hammers' defence.
Gabriel Jesus' missed chance in the second half was particularly costly, and Hargreaves believes Arsenal need to recruit a striker with more physical presence to unlock defensive opponents.
"Every guy on that list is a beautiful football player," said Hargreaves. "The difference between the goalcorers sometimes aren't the greatest football players, you couldn't say Haaland's technically a brilliant football player but he's a brilliant finisher. Arsenal have all these brilliant football players, all they need is somebody just to put the ball in the back of the net. They need somebody to be between the lines, somebody like Jesus who can score."
Hargreaves also suggested the Gunners need someone like Declan Rice, noting the impressive performance from the West Ham midfielder.
"I actually thought Declan played really well. He's barely put a foot wrong in an Arsenal shirt," said Hargreaves. "If anything they need more people like Declan with that mentality to keep pushing. I feel like they've got a lot of brilliant football players, but they probably just need another one or two, a centre-forward and a left-back, they could do with a couple in that Declan mould."
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