‘They’re lacking’: Gary Neville says Arteta ‘loves’ two Arsenal players but they’re not good enough for big games

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Gary Neville has suggested Mikel Arteta needs to go and sign a better striker for Arsenal after watching Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus this season.

Jesus is out injured again and Nketiah is now being tasked with picking up the baton. Nketiah fired in a hat-trick v Sheffield United last weekend but was pretty anonymous against Newcastle.

A lot has been made of Arsenal’s decision to splash out on Kai Havertz over a new forward.

And speaking on his Gary Neville podcast, the Sky Sports pundit admitted he thinks Arsenal need more from a front player.

Gary Neville says Nketiah and Jesus not good enough to get Arsenal over the line

Speaking on his podcast, Neville commented on Nketiah and Jesus. And while he believes Arteta loves the pair, he thinks Arsenal need more to see big games through.

“They’re lacking something up top and I think Mikel Arteta knows that. I think he loves them both, he should do, Arsenal fans should do, this is not a criticism of the two lads they’ve got because I think they can both be really important players for Arsenal,” Neville said.

“But I think they should be part of the overall 20 man squad and contribute and play 25-30 matches a season. I still think they need something more in those big matches to get you over the line. Haaland does get City over the line quite a bit and I think that’s where the difference could be.”

Arteta and Edu have made a mistake

The decision to spend so much money on Kai Havertz and not bring in a proper number nine type striker is going to bite the Gunners this year.

You can tell already they don’t have enough in the locker up front and Havertz is not going to be the answer in place of Nketiah or Jesus. Likewise, Leandro Trossard is not a central striker.

This is a big mistake from Edu and Arteta in the summer. Players were available and if they’d pushed hard enough, a forward could have been signed.

There have been links with Ivan Toney and right now, you’d have to say Arsenal should go all out for him.