Arsenal sent new transfer plea after painful Newcastle loss: 'Something needs to change' | OneFootball

Gunners’ need for attacking reinforcements made abundantly clear again in Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg defeat

Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes his former club must enter the transfer market to fix their issues in attack.

The Gunners’ problems in front of goal continued on Tuesday night as they squandered numerous chances in a demoralising 2-0 defeat by Newcastle in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie - a first home loss in any competition since last April that left their hopes of reaching Wembley next month hanging by a thread.

Arsenal face a daunting task to overturn such a deficit in the return fixture on February 5 at St James’ Park, which has certainly not been a happy hunting ground for the club over recent years.

As well as dealing a potential hammer blow to their hopes of claiming the first piece of major silverware of the season, the defeat by Newcastle also further highlighted Arsenal’s continued shortcomings in attack and creative inefficiencies without injured talisman Bukayo Saka, who will remain sidelined until March at the earliest after undergoing surgery on a torn hamstring suffered last month.

Transfer plea: Arsenal legend Ian Wright insists the Gunners must provide Mikel Arteta with attacking reinforcements this month

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Such issues have been seen in a number of Gunners games of late, including Saturday’s frustrating 1-1 draw at Brighton in which they dropped more points in the Premier League title race, and been further exacerbated by Martin Odegaard struggling for fitness and form and the likes of Kai Havertz, Ethan Nwaneri, Gabriel Martinelli and Raheem Sterling also dealing with illness or injuries.

Martinelli and the returning Havertz were both guilty of missing huge chances against Newcastle, along with defender Jurrien Timber, while Arsenal’s woes in front of goal would have been even worse in recent weeks were it not for a timely resurgence from Gabriel Jesus that has since fizzled out.

Manager Mikel Arteta has maintained the same view on potential transfers this month when repeatedly asked the question in recent press conferences, insisting that Arsenal remain alert for any strong opportunities that may arise in the market but that the current focus in on working with the players he’s already got.

Club icon Wright, however, is in no doubt that they simply must strengthen their squad.

Asked if Arsenal need to remodel their attack in the summer, Wright said on ITV: “What I’m looking at now for Mikel Arteta and what he’s gonna need, he needs help.

“I know it’s very difficult to get anything in this January window, but he needs something else because if it carries on like this it’s going to be very difficult to score.

“They aren’t scoring with the corners, we’re not scoring with the chances we’re making. Something needs to change. Something needs to happen.”