Garth Crooks insists Arsenal still do not have a clinical striker despite Eddie Nketiah’s hat-trick against Sheffield United
Arsenal put in a five-star performance against Sheffield United at Emirates Stadium on Saturday to clinch their seventh Premier League victory of 2023-24.
Eddie Nketiah bagged a hat-trick in the 5-0 demolition of the Blades, but BBC pundit Garth Crooks is still unconvinced, insisting the Gunners still do not have a clinical striker capable of firing them to the title.
Sheffield Utd are bottom of the league table having gone ten games without a win, and Arsenal were favourites against them as they had lost eight league games heading into their clash.
Nketiah having a field day against such opponents did not impress Crooks, and he has challenged the England international to replicate such a performance against the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.
“Eddie Nketiah stepped in for the injured Gabriel Jesus and grabbed himself an impressive hat-trick,” the BBC pundit wrote in his Team of the Week column.
“Last week I raised the issue around the Gunners requiring a clinical striker if they are serious about stealing the title from Manchester City.
“Nketiah’s hat-trick has not changed my view, although his third goal was a fabulous strike. If he were to score three goals against Liverpool, Manchester City or Spurs, I might be forced to reconsider my position.”
The 24-year-old has five league goals so far this term, with the other two coming against Fulham and Nottingham Forest.
He has to be finding the back of the net against the big boys to establish himself as a world-class striker, and he has not done so this season.
How Arsenal fare in those top games will go a long way in determining their fate as far as winning the Premier League title this term goes, and they need a quality finisher leading the line to get the job done.
Gabriel Jesus has scored once in seven league games this term, and the Gunners have had to rely on the likes of Bukayo Saka (4), Martin Odegaard (3), Leandro Trossard (2) and Declan Rice (2) for the large chunk of their league goals thus far.
Having the wingers, midfielders and defenders able to help out in front of goal is huge, but Arsenal need a number 9 capable of scoring at least 15 to 20 league goals per campaign to boost their chances of winning the title.
Man City have one in Erling Braut Haaland and it made all the difference last term.
