Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final exit to Paris St Germain leaves them empty handed for another season.
Here, the PA news agency looks at five things Arsenal must do to end their five-year trophy drought.
Sign a striker
Arsenal’s shortcomings infront of goal were again exposed in their defeat to PSG.The Gunners created an xG (expected goals) of 5.11 across the two legs, but they found the back of the net just once.
Their tally of 64 goals in the Premier League so far is 17 shy of Liverpool, and fewer than both Manchester City (67) and Newcastle (66) have managed.
It is also way down on the 84 and 89 goals they scored in their last two league campaigns – albeit with three matches left.
Arsenal are ready to spend, with RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres and Newcastle’s Alexander Isak all linked.
Keep players fit
Easier said than done, but Arsenal’s campaign has been derailed by a series of high-profile injuries.Martin Odegaard missed 12 matches with an ankle injury before Bukayo Saka spent nearly four months on the sidelines following a hamstring tear.
Gabriel Jesus (ruptured anterior cruciate ligament) and Kai Havertz (hamstring) have not played since January and February respectively – leaving Arsenal without a recognised striker – while defender Gabriel has been absent since April 1 after he required hamstring surgery.
Summer signing Riccardo Calafiori has been in and out of the side, and Ben White has been restricted to cameo appearances since mid-November following a knee operation.
Sign them up
Both Saka and William Saliba are entering the final two seasons of their contract, and it is imperative both men stay.While it would be a major surprise if Saka did not agree new terms, there is significant doubt over Saliba’s future with Real Madrid reportedly interested.
Partey, 31, has enjoyed his strongest season to date since his 2020 arrival, and he was missed through suspension in Arsenal’s opening-leg defeat to PSG.
His contract is up for renewal next month but it remains to be seen if he will stay.
Stop becoming the nearly men
Arteta has transformed Arsenal into serious challengers on both domestic and European fronts.As he pointed out on Wednesday: “Two years ago, nobody believed that we could qualify for the Champions League, or even think that we could finish second and compete in the league.”
But Arteta’s 2020 FA Cup triumph remains his sole success, and they are on course to finish runners-up for a third consecutive Premier League season.
Their last-four record in recent years is concerning, too, failing to win any of their last eight semi-final legs in all competitions.
The streak lends itself to the theory that Arsenal cannot quite cut it at the top table. They need to deliver soon or risk becoming the nearly men.
Walk the walk before you talk the talk
In Paris, Arteta made two eyebrow-raising claims.
First, he said winning trophies is about being in the “right place at the right moment” after he pointed to Liverpool securing the title with fewer points than Arsenal amassed over the last two seasons (the Reds will beat those totals if they win their remaining three games).
He then said Arsenal have been the best team in the Champions League, and suggested the PSG bench said the Gunners deserved to go through.
Opposing manager Luis Enrique said he did not agree with Arteta’s claim.
Arteta’s comments are in danger of making him, and the club, appear delusional.
