Arsenal striker dilemma: Should Arteta keep faith in Havertz?

Arsenal's strikers Havertz and Gyokeres have combined for no Premier League goals since early September, leaving Arteta facing a goalscoring crisis ahead of Sunday's trip to Liverpool.

Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres have misfired badly for Arsenal this season, with neither scoring a Premier League goal since early September. Havertz has played 561 minutes without a goal in any competition, while Gyokeres has managed just one shot in 148 Premier League minutes. The situation is particularly stark given that Arsenal's defenders have scored more goals than their strikers this season.

Despite the attacking struggles, Arsenal sit level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League after winning seven of their eight games. However, manager Mikel Arteta will be aware that the club cannot sustain their strong start without improved finishing from their forwards. The issue reflects Arsenal's spending priorities since Arteta's appointment in 2019: they have invested £224.5m in forwards compared to £550.1m on midfielders and £350m on defenders.

Arsenal attempted to address the striker shortage in the summer by pursuing Vinicius Jr and Julian Alvarez, but ultimately retained Havertz and Gyokeres. Sunday's match against Liverpool and Alexander Isak—a striker Arsenal previously targeted before his £125m move from Newcastle—will highlight the gap between Arsenal's ambitions and their current attacking options.