Watching Arsenal’s thoroughly deserved victory over Newcastle, when they stepped up a gear in the second half and totally outclassed the Geordies (our tip to be the ‘surprise’ relegation), the introduction of Abou Diaby in a forward role revealed an interesting aspect of Arsenal’s squad – the proliferation of strikers. Diaby can play off the front man (or even lead the line) and makes up a panoply of forwards. In decreasing degrees of tenuousness…
Cesc Fabregas
Fabregas is primarily a centre midfielder, dictating play, picking passes, and weighing in with goals (he is particularly partial to hot goalscoring streaks). Many think Fabregas will develop into a second striker playing off a main or target front man – you could certainly see him playing foil to a poacher or line-leader such as Torres for Spain – or Bendtner or Eduardo for the Arse.
Aaron Ramsey
Still only 18 but already a full Welsh international, Wenger signed Ramsey on the back of just 16 appearances for Cardiff. He can play anywhere across the midfield or as a support striker. It does seem Wenger fancies him more as the midfield engine room, but he is certainly good enough to play as a forward.
Abou Diaby
As mentioned, the big Frenchman is adept playing as a second striker; Wenger has used him in that role to great effect in Europe and occasionally domestically. It’s surprising that considering his wealth of options that his manager has even been forced to use him there – or is it in fact vindication of the faith he has in him?
Samir Nasri
Another midfielder by trade, Nasri – although left footed – plays on the right side for Arsenal. How England would love that luxury. Nasri is a goalscoring midfielder in the Robert Pires mould, and as such is another who can play off an out-and-out front man/striker.
Jack Wilshere
A well known name amongst Arsenal fans, Wilshere is one of their hottest prospects – high praise indeed considering the wealth of youthful promise at the Emirates. Wilshire has the number 19 shirt and has made one league appearance, becoming the youngest ever debutant for Arsenal. Wilshere also started in the fourth round of the Carling Cup against Wigan, setting up the opener – he was awarded the Man of the Match award but was too young to receive the champagne! Wenger has compared him to Fabregas – a creative midfielder who (again!) can operate as a second striker.
Theo Walcott
Up to now Walcott has primarily been a flying winger, making the England berth his own and scoring THAT hat-trick before his shoulder injury. However, there is talk of Walcott going down the path of Henry – moving infield and using his blistering pace to penetrate defences centrally. He is inferior to Henry in technical ability, but his speed would terrify centre-backs, and he is a very useful weapon to be able to introduce upfront even if he doesn’t start there.
Andrei Arshavin
Arshavin is a supremely gifted and supremely fluid member of the forward line. He has already played both left and right side for Arsenal, as well as through the middle as a standard centre-mid, off the forward, and as a striker. Arshavin is a creative force, but also weighs in with his fair share of goals – he averaged one in four for Zenit and averages one in three for Russia.
Jay Simpson
Currently on loan to West Bromwich Albion, Simpson is a promising forward who can also operate in midfield. Incredibly, he featured in an under 18s game at just 13 years of age. Simpson spent last season on loan at Millwall and won the PFA Player of the Year award at only 19. One for the future, Simpson holds goalscoring records at many youth levels. He scored twice against Wigan on his full debut, too!
Robin Van Persie
Arguably Arsenal’s most influential player this season, RVP already has nine goals and ten assists. Wenger: “He can play on the left side of midfield, as a creative player behind the main strikers or as a target man.” and so it has proved, with Van Persie occupying each of those positions as well as right midfield on occasion. He has scored 40 goals in 115 matches and remains a potent source of goals. However, with Arsenal’s rich array of strikers, he may find himself increasingly played wide.
Carlos Vela
Vela is only 20 but already has 13 caps for Mexico, and scored a hat-trick on his full debut. Hugely promising, Wenger sees him in the Eduardo mould, a quality line-leading goal poacher. Arsenal have lacked on of those for many years (remember Francis Jeffers?) and now two come along at once…
Emmanuel Adebayor
The forgotten man at Arsenal, Adebayor has been out injured for a number of weeks. Courted by several top sides last season, considering Arsenal’s striking riches it would be no surprise if this was his last at the Emirates. Tall and gangly but deceptively skilful, he is like a quick version of Kanu who can also head the ball. Despite the backup, 44 goals in 110 games for Arsenal (not to mention 34 in 38 for Togo) show he will be missed.
Eduardo
Just back from that sickening Martin Taylor challenge, Eduardo is your definitive ‘fox in the box’. A master finisher, Eduardo is classy as they come in front of goal, as his goals on his comeback showed. An out and out striker, a predator, he is the kind of player who would – and will – score goals for anyone.
Nicklas Bendtner
If it’s possible to be more of an out and out striker than Eduardo, Bendnter is it – big and strong, he leads the line well, and his excellent movement gets him into fantastic goal-scoring positions. He just needs to learn how to finish… He is a favourite of Wengers, although many more performances like the one against Blackburn, where he missed five clear cut chances, may see him slip down the pecking order.
So there we are – a substantial ‘Arsenal’ of striking options. There are also a couple of other youth players not too far off the first team (although in a long queue), most notably Jay Emmanuel-Thomas; and there is also the perma-crocked Tomas Rosicky-note who can play off a striker and has done so for the Czech Republic.
Even if you take out the young and the tenuous, leaving only out-and-out indisputable forwards (albeit a couple who play in midfield sometimes) you still have Walcott, Arshavin, Vela, Van Persie, Adebayor, Eduardo and Bendtner – an embarrassment of riches. You wouldn’t bet against Adebayor leaving in the summer…
This does beg the question, why are Arsenal struggling? Arshavin is new, admittedly, and Eduardo just back from injury with Adebayor taking his place on the treatment table; but with the volume and quality of back up Arsenal should not have gone on a club record run of 0-0 draws.
The absence of Fabregas is the real key here – however good your strikers are, you need chances for them, and without his creative spark the Gunners have really struggled. Cesc is now close to a return, and with him supplying in the ammo – in mouth-watering tandem with Arshavin – Arsenal could be back to their brilliant best. Fans will be begging Wenger to sign a a Centre Back and a ball-winning Centre Midfielder to complement the attacking riches; perhaps with the Adebayor money…?
Next year could be the Arsenal renaissance.
[...] talked before about the outstanding arsenal of strikers the Gunners possess, and with Arshavin pulling the strings alongside Fabregas – with whom he has [...]
[...] in March, shortly after Arsenal’s acquisition of Andrei Arshavin, we wrote of the embarrassment of striking riches at their disposal. Back then we forecast they’d sell Adebayor, and if the money was used correctly, this [...]