Spurs conquered but Arteta will know profligacy in front of goal needs rectifying

It’s clear no team with realistic trophy ambitions can afford Arsenal's profligacy in front goal.

PROBLEM POSITION: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reacts during the Premier League match. Pic: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire.

Mikel Arteta could consider this job done. Victory over their north London rivals moved Arsenal up to second place and closed the gap at the top of the Premier League table to four points.

The head coach, though, will know that if his side is to increase the pressure on Liverpool at the head of the table they must demonstrate a more effective cutting edge. And this performance will have only added to Arteta’s determination to add to his squad this month.

Concerns about Arsenal’s goal-threat are nothing new but the view that Arteta’s side lacked the necessary firepower to sustain a title challenge has been only strengthened by Bukayo Saka’s absence with a hamstring injury. The loss of Gabriel Jesus to an ACL injury sustained last weekend only added to those worries.

Their failings in front of goal were all too evident in their last two outings, the League Cup semi-final first leg defeat to Newcastle United and the Sunday’s FA Cup exit at the hands of Manchester United. 

Arteta’s side conjured 49 attempts on goal across the two games for the return of just one goal. It’s clear no team with realistic trophy ambitions can afford that kind of profligacy.

Arteta’s options up front are limited and the front three of Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard and Raheem Sterling that started against Tottenham is hardly the kind of front line to strike fear in many Premier League defences. On this occasion though, they faced a makeshift Tottenham defence that for some time time have given the impression of being a goal waiting to happen.

It’s clear Arteta needs more depth to his squad but while new faces may arrive before the end of the month, for now the Spaniard has to go with what he has got. 

And that means hoping that Havertz can find some consistency in front of goal and that Sterling can finally find his feet following his loan move from Chelsea. 

Arsenal's Leandro Trossard celebrates scoring the second goal.

Doubts about Sterling’s ability to make an impact at the Emirates Stadium were only reinforced by the forward’s unconvincing start to the game when he inexplicably slowed as he ran on to a through ball, allowing Tottenham keeper Antonin Kinsky to get their first.

Sterling was making only his third league of an injury affected season and his indecision was a reflection of a player in desperate need of form and confidence and only underlined the impact of the loss of Saka, and to a lesser extent Ethan Nwaneri, to Arteta’s side.

The former Manchester City winger was a serial trophy winner at the Etihad Stadium and his title-winning know-how ought to be invaluable to a group of players lacking similar experience. 

There is still time for a player of Sterling’s experience to exert some influence on the campaign, but there were few signs of him returning to anything like his best form and was easily contained by Tottenham left-back Djed Spence before his departure on the hour.

Havertz was similarly quiet despite Arsenal dominating much of the opening period of the game and when he was presented with a good opportunity to score from a Martin Odegaard corner early in the second half, the Germany international again lost his bearings. 

Another tame header, this time from Thomas Partey’s cross, prompted thoughts of what a more ruthless centre-forward might have made of the opportunity.

It came as little surprise then, that Arsenal were forced to rely on their much-lauded threat with a dead-ball to get back in the game after Tottenham had unexpectedly taken the lead through Son Heung-min.

For are team that prides itself on the way it approaches set-pieces at both ends of the pitch, the Spurs opener was one to forget for Arteta and his coaching staff, however. 

Son was allowed far too much time to set himself and direct a deflected volley past David Raya after the ball looped clear.

The equaliser was much more convincing from Arsenal’s point of view and demonstrated why corners and other set-pieces have become so valuable to them. 

While Havertz and Sterling’s lack of conviction was frustrating, the determination shown by Gabriel to get on the end of Declan Rice’s corner was commendable. Arteta can only hope his forwards take note.

Trossard’s goal was much more like it with the Belgian producing an excellent finish after cutting in from the left to score his first goal in 12 games. 

It was in keeping with Tottenham’s unconvincing display that there were errors from Yves Bissouma and Radu Dragusin in the build-up before Kinsky’s unconvincing attempt to save.

Two goals in four minutes were enough to effectively kill off the game but the performance did little to kill off the view that the club must move decisively this month and give Arteta the attacking tools he needs.