Year after year, the story seems to repeat itself — Arsenal’s spring collapse has become one of football’s most familiar narratives. As Melbet Affiliates notes, it’s hardly surprising anymore. Last season, Arsenal held the Premier League lead for much of the year and even entered April with an eight-point advantage. It felt like their long-awaited title was finally within reach. But as fate would have it, the Gunners stumbled down the stretch, allowing Manchester City to claim their third consecutive league title in dramatic fashion.
Following that heartbreak, Arsenal spent heavily in the summer, aiming to reignite their title hopes. In the first half of the current season, they looked the part, even topping Liverpool to claim the Premier League’s “Christmas champions” status. However, fresh doubts are beginning to surface. A home defeat to West Ham United sparked widespread concern over Arsenal’s ability to sustain their title push. While West Ham occasionally pull off surprise results against top clubs, they are notoriously poor on the road — a reputation they’ve held throughout David Moyes’ tenure.
Yet this season, the Hammers broke that mold by toppling Arsenal at the Emirates. To add insult to injury, former West Ham captain Declan Rice — who joined Arsenal in the summer and has been crucial to their improvement — had a night to forget. In the final minutes of the match, he conceded a penalty, prompting the loudest cheers of the night from traveling West Ham fans. Though the penalty was saved, their celebration was aimed at a player they now view as a traitor, relishing his uncomfortable return.
Clearly, Arsenal are not as composed as their league position might suggest, especially in high-pressure moments. Still, Melbet Affiliates reports that manager Mikel Arteta remains confident. He insists the team creates enough chances to win matches, but their continued struggles in front of goal tell a different story. Arsenal sit second in the table, just two points behind Liverpool. Yet, tellingly, they have no players among the Premier League’s top ten scorers. Their top scorer, Eddie Nketiah, ranks only 20th with five goals.
That means over 20 Premier League players have scored more goals than Arsenal’s main forwards Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus. It’s like a play — everyone plays their part, but not all roles lead to glory. In contrast, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Phil Foden, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Darwin Núñez, Tottenham’s Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison, and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey all appear in the top 20 scorers chart.
After the West Ham loss, Arteta admitted that without sharper finishing inside the box, the title would remain out of reach. For Arsenal, signing a clinical striker during the January transfer window has become a top priority. Melbet Affiliates has previously reported that Arsenal are battling Chelsea for Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who is currently serving a suspension for breaching FA betting regulations but is set to return in January.
As the saying goes, better to keep your word — even if it’s foolish — than to break a promise. Still, it’s hard to believe that a striker who’s been sidelined for over six months can quickly adapt to Arsenal’s system and single-handedly solve their scoring woes.