Arsenal goal Alexander Isak celebrates Newcastle's goal (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images)
If there was ever a match that made it clear exactly what Arsenal must do in the transfer market between now and the end of the month, it was the one we witnessed against Newcastle last night.
In terms of chances, it was a game Arsenal should have won. Very comfortably actually. But in the end they lost it with little complaining.
Why? Because Mikel Arteta's wasteful side could play for hours without scoring one of the many chances they had during the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, while at the other end Newcastle – and Alexander Isak in particular – gave them a lesson in finishing. .
Arsenal's major shock cannot now be ruled out!
Arteta bemoaned his team's waste after the 2-0 defeat. “If you look at what the two teams did, it's not a result that reflects the story of the match. But the truth is that they were very efficient with the chances they had and we didn't do that.
The truth is that this is nothing new. It's the story of the season for Arsenal. Yes, they scored a lot of goals and had some big wins. But there are also 13 matches in all competitions in which they scored just one goal in a single game or failed to score altogether. That's 13 games out of 30, just under half.
This is not good enough and paints a clear picture of the team's ineptitude. They clearly lack players with that killer instinct In front of the goal.
A transfer for Alexander Isak is exactly what Arsenal need
Newcastle have one in Isaac. Arsenal no. It's that simple. Isak showed everyone exactly what Arsenal was missing and he was impossible to ignore.
Opta statistics showed that Arsenal finished the first leg of the semi-final with 3.12 expected goals, the highest number scored by a Premier League team this season in a match in which they failed to score.
Simply put, if Arsenal had had Isak in their team last night, they would have had one foot in the final by now. Instead, they face a painful semi-final exit and more questions about why they haven't done more to bolster their attack.
The need for at least one new attacking option is clear for all to see, and if they do not find one in the January transfer window, it is very difficult to see them being able to go on and claim the silverware that the manager and players have achieved. And the supporters are yearning.
You have to be decisive when the big moments arrive in the big matches. If not, you'll end up with nothing.
Arsenal took a big gamble in the summer when they resisted the urge to spend any money on their attack. When Benjamin Sisko told them no, they had plenty of time to look for other options. But they decided to keep their money and move forward again with what they already had, barring the last-minute addition of Raheem Sterling on loan of course.
It's a gamble that clearly backfired.
With three weeks left in the January window, they have a chance to at least try to right the wrongs of the summer. If they don't seize this opportunity, it's hard to see them having enough to get over the line in any of the competitions they still have their eye on.
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