Arsenal told to act as glaring weakness exposed by Liverpool in FA Cup defeat

Arsenal’s failure to find the back of the net against Liverpool only emphasised their glaring problems in front of goal, says Martin Keown. Arsenal were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium as Luis Diaz and an own goal from Jakub Kiwior saw Jurgen Klopp’s Reds progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The Gunners created plenty of opportunities in the game and managed to rack up 18 attempts at goal. But, they couldn’t beat Alisson in the Liverpool net to ensure they have now won just one game in seven in all competitions, a run that stretches back to the start of December.

Arsenal have scored six goals in that time, but the chances they’ve wasted have regularly been the difference and Keown has stressed the need to act, be that in the transfer market or on the training field.

“All credit to Liverpool but if ever a game underlined the inefficiencies of an Arsenal team in front of goal this was it today,” Keown said while working as a pundit for the BBC. “It’s been a problem in the last five or six matches and it was evident again once more.

“The approach play is excellent. Havertz, I was surprised he wasn’t taken off a little bit earlier in the game. It’s not just him, though, it was Odegaard as well, Nelson.

“You have to improve the group, but I suppose the narrative now goes towards the transfer window and are they going to look to go into the market and bring someone in? I think you have to improve what’s there first.”

He added: “It just felt you could have been here until midnight and Arsenal wouldn’t have scored. There’s a break in matches now and they’re going to have to rediscover that belief that they had in front of goal.

“It’s not just one player, it’s a group of players. To go into the market to buy is the obvious thing to talk about and maybe they do that, maybe this accelerates that process.”

Arsenal have just under a fortnight to prepare for their next competitive outing with Crystal Palace due to travel to north London on January 20.