‘Arteta’s arsenal badly need a centre-forward’: Sol Campbell

Legendary Gunner Sol Campbell tells mid-day what Londoners must do to avoid dropping points towards business end of English Premier League; Mikel’s men held 0-0 by 15th-placed Everton

In the recent past, Arsenal have come very close to winning the English Premier League title. However, somehow, towards the business end of the competition, they tend to lose crucial points against lower-ranked teams and the trophy eventually slips out of their hands.  

On Saturday, the Gunners, currently sitting third in the EPL points table, played out one such frustrating draw (0-0) against 15th-placed Everton.  Arsenal enjoyed 76 per cent possession against Everton and had as many as 13 shots on goal. League leaders Liverpool were also held (2-2) by Fulham, meaning this draw will hurt Arsenal more as they could have reduced the current six-point gap between them and the leaders. Arsenal legend Sol Campbell puts it down to a crucial on-field position that’s missing for the Gunners, who finished second in the last two EPL seasons.

Sol Campbel in Kolkata on Sunday. Pics/Getty Images, PTI

“When I look at the season before last, it was the Villa game [Aston Villa beat Arsenal 2-1 at Villa Park in February 20210] because after that we didn’t lose a game. Then, in the last season too there were some unwanted draws. I feel Arsenal need a centre-forward badly,” Campbell, who was part of the famed Invincibles that won the 2003-04 EPL title unbeaten, told mid-day over the phone from Kolkata, where was the brand ambassador of Sunday’s Tata Steel World 25k run.

Campbell played alongside Arsenal’s greatest striker, Thierry Henry, who scored a whopping 228 goals in 377 matches for the club across  competitions. Henry had this uncanny ability to pull the opposition defence towards him and, according to Campbell,  this is exactly what manager Mikel Arteta’s current outfit are lacking. “Arsenal need a main centre-forward badly. Even though everyone seems to be okay with goals coming in from all over the place, I feel, a main centre-foward will start easing the pressure on all the other players, who are either scoring or chipping in with crucial contributions. 

A main centre-forward will attract more [opposition] players to him and that, in-turn, frees up space for others. So, in the end, two or three players have now become free and that’s the difference between unlocking tight games. That’s why I feel a main centre-forward will be a good addition and that will be the reason they perform better and hopefully, win the league,” added Campbell, 50, who began his club career with Tottenham before two famous stints at Arsenal alongside a glittering international career with England.

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