Soccer
Gary Neville insisted he had no sympathy for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal amid their current injury crisis in attack.
Kai Havertz joined Arsenal’s lengthy list of absentees last week, with the forward ruled out for the rest of the season after requiring surgery to repair the hamstring injury he suffered during the training camp in Dubai.
The injury means the Gunners are now without a recognised striker for the remainder of the term, with Gabriel Jesus rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) last month.
Arsenal are also without star forwards Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, with Arteta choosing to deploy Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri in their late 2-0 win over Leicester City on Saturday.
Indeed, their victory against the Foxes saw Arsenal start a Premier League game without any of Saka, Martinelli, Jesus or Havertz for the first time since their final game of the 2020-21 season against Brighton.
But Arteta required an inspired cameo display from Mikel Merino, grabbing both goals late on at the King Power Stadium after being thrust into the makeshift striker role.
Arsenal were linked with a number of forwards during the January transfer window, with the club seeing a bid turned down for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins.
There was also reported interest in Alexander Isak, Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Evan Ferguson, but none of those moves materialised, with Neville believing the decision not to sign a forward could come back to haunt them.
“They are going to have to come up with something,” Neville said. “I’ve got little sympathy for Arsenal. They knew at the start of the season they were short at centre-forward.
“They knew they might be in a position where they didn’t have the quality up top. They have also had two title races, so they know what it’s like.
“This is not an inexperienced team or manager. Could this have been foreseen? Yes. They couldn’t get any business done.
“I thought it might be Rice moving forwards, and it’s ended up being Mikel Merino. Sometimes good can come out of what seems to be bad. You can develop something together.
“It’s going to be tough for Arsenal. They have to find a way, no excuses. They can’t feel sorry for themselves, and I’m sure Mikel Arteta won’t.”
Despite their injury worries, Neville also said that Arsenal would have been given hope in their quest for the title, despite Liverpool beating Wolves 2-0 on Sunday to extend their lead at the summit to seven points.
Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah were on target for Arne Slot’s side in the first half, before Cunha’s sensational strike reduced the deficit in the 67th minute, with the Reds enduring a nervy final half an hour at Anfield.
Indeed, it was the first time on record (since 2003-04) that Liverpool failed to attempt a shot in the second half of a Premier League game at Anfield. In fact, it was the first time in this period that the Reds went an entire half of football without attempting a shot in a home league match.
“I think it was a good day for Liverpool,” Neville told Sky Sports. “I even think it was half a good day for Arsenal with Liverpool, who just got over the line against a Wolves team who I thought were fantastic, having Aston Villa away and Man City away coming up.
“Sometimes you get a game like that when you are going for a title at home when people think you are going to turn up and win easily. You are 2-0 up, and you think you are going to go on and score three or four, but it turns out to be a difficult afternoon.
“We’ve all had these types of games and that is why it was a good result for Liverpool. But also, that is why Arsenal will look at it and think it was a tight game and a slender victory, which will give them some hope.”
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