"This awful run is on you, Mikel Arteta" - Arsenal fan Piers Morgan urges club to sign player in key position after loss to Liverpool
British journalist Piers Morgan has blamed Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta for their poor run of form as the Gunners lost 2-0 to Liverpool in the FA Cup.
An own goal from Jakub Kiwior followed by a stoppage-time goal from Luis Diaz put the Reds into the fourth round as Mikel Arteta's side crashed out.
Arsenal were the dominant side in the first half, but wasted many chances. Martin Odegaard was denied by the bar, whereas Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Reiss Nelson all fluffled their lines.
Liverpool grew into the match after the break and punished the hosts for their misses with two late goals. The Gunners finished with 18 shots (six more than the visitors), of which five were on target (two more than Liverpool), and had 55% possession, only to end up on the losing side.
This was their third consecutive loss in all competitions. Arsenal have now won just once in their last seven games.
Morgan, who is an Arsenal fan, blamed the form slump on the beleaguered Arteta for not signing a new striker. He wrote on X:
"We didn’t need a new goalkeeper, and we definitely didn’t need Havertz for £67m. We needed a proper striker. This awful run is on you @m8arteta - stop being so stubborn and sign someone who can score goals, or our whole season will be over very soon."
His comments come after Arteta admitted that signing a new goalscorer "is not realistic" at the moment, pouring cold water over all such rumors.
Arsenal return to action on Saturday against Crystal Palace at the Emirates in the Premier League.
Arsenal would be wise to invest in a striker
Arsenal's recent slump in form is down to their misfiring attack. In their last seven games, the Gunners have scored just five times, including one from their defender, Gabriel Magalhaes.
Their main striker Gabriel Jesus has been hampered by injuries since joining from Manchester City in 2022, and that has prevented him from scoring goals consistently. Kai Havertz joined last summer on a big-money move but isn't a natural goalscorer, and it has showed.
With Arsenal's season threatening to unravel, it would be wise of Arteta to invest in a natural goalscorer in the January transfer window. The Premier League is now their only realistic chance of silverware this season after being knocked out of both domestic cups, with the Champions League seeming out of reach for now.
If the north London side are to revive their title charge in the second half of the top-flight campaign, it's imperative for them to have a reliable source of goals upfront.