No shots on target, possession lost eight times: Mikel Arteta needs to dump €35m-rated striker

Arsenal were unlucky to be beaten 1-0 by Inter in the Champions League on Wednesday night, however, an awful showing by Leandro Trossard should see him dropped by Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners had Martin Odegaard back from injury, and would’ve headed to San Siro full of confidence.

Even the stats at the end of the game landed heavily in favour of the away side, yet they were still downed by a first-half injury-time penalty that Mikel Arteta didn’t necessarily agree with.

That spot-kick was Inter’s only shot on target in the entire game, but that’s one more than Leandro Trossard (rated at €35m by transfermarkt) made.

According to SofaScore, the striker played for 82 minutes of the match, gave possession away on eight separate occasions, and made only two key passes.

Mikel Arteta has to replace Leandro Trossard after dire showing

If Arteta genuinely believes that Arsenal can go deep into the premier European competition as well as being a contender for the Premier League title, then his strikers have to perform much, much better than that.

Arteta was actually asked recently how he would feel having a striker like Alexander Isak in his squad, and after Trossard’s abject failure against the Neroazzurri, the Spaniard will likely have to answer something similar again.

As good a team as the Gunners are, they really lack a striker who is a virtual guarantee of goals and who lives for putting the ball in the back of the net.

Kai Havertz has improved no end under Arteta, but he’s more of a second striker or even an attacking midfielder, rather than a centre-forward.

Gabriel Jesus clearly isn’t the player he once was, so the thought that should be foremost in Arteta’s mind this January is ‘what striker can I buy that will help fire me to one or more titles’?

In almost all other areas of the pitch, Arsenal are rock solid, so the odd tweak here and there could make all the difference.