Just as Mikel Arteta thought he had solved the attacking mystery caused by Bukayo Saka's injury with Ethan Nwaneri, the Spaniard has to perform an operation again to his arsenal front line.
The solutions have worked so far, where the Gunners have undefeated seven league games since the December 5-1 victory in Crystal Palace, in which Saka was picked up at a stretcher, but now the resources are really at the breaking point.
As revealed by Mail Sport on Tuesday, Kai Havertz suffered a hamstring problem on the recent trip from the Gunners to Dubai – and today it has been confirmed that the injury will keep him for the season.
Saka is expected to stay offside for another month, while Gabriel Martinelli is also out until the international break of March and Gabriel Jesus is an absentee in the long term with a knee injury.
These injuries, and not signing a front line in the last three transfer windows, leaves Arteta with only three available attackers in Leandro Trossard, the 17-year-old Nwaneri and a low-unclean Raheem-starling. It is a big blow to a crucial last three months of the season.
Liverpool is clearly at the top of the Premier League table, for their match in hand at Everton tonight.
And the Gunners also have the Champions League – their best chance of a trophy this season – to contend with, where they will have to deal with one of Juventus, AC Milan, PSV Eindhoven or Feyenoord in the last 16.
So how do they manage this crucial period with such a gaping hole in the front? Here, Mail Sport looks at the six attacking avenues that Arteta can go to keep the Arsenal season alive.
1. The last three
On paper, a front three of Nwaneri, Trossard and Sterling appears that the most likely route Arteta will go down, as his only remaining forward options.
Trossard had a quiet first half of the season in the midst of suggestions that he was approaching the exit, but the Ante lately raised thanks to getting a run in the team on the left wing. Martinelli manned the right flank until he was injured in the Carabao Cup semi -final second stage in Newcastle.
The Belgian offered two assists against Aston Villa last month, and in the 5-1 that Manchester City had beaten, Trossard looked Sprightly on the ball and had an influence on Arsenal's build-up game.
Since Nwaneri started his first Premier League against Brentford on New Year's Day, the 17-year-old has looked a special talent.
He has grown in confidence in the game and has contributed goals in the Premier League against Brighton and Manchester City in recent weeks, with his curling effort from outside the box against the champions that received many compliments.
Nwaneri is a teenager, so he is still developing, but he has already proven that he is ready for this level, with seven goals in all competitions and a real threat instead of Saka on the right wing.
Where the real question mark arises is Sterling. The 82-cap England-Vleugel player, which last summer on the Deadline Day of Chelsea on loan of the Gunners, has been overwhelming to say the least.
Apart from a goal and an assist against League One Side Bolton in the third round of Carabao Cup, Sterling has difficulty making an impact.
That eruption of Tempo and Dribbling skills that used to be afraid of defenders was not seen, while a disappointing campaign was summarized with a missed penalty at Girona in the last competition phase match match in the Champions League.
Can the 30-year-old five months after his loan period finally be fine? Time is gone.
2. Convert a full back in a winger
Until recently, Kieran Tierney was a forgotten man, but since the return of a hamstring problem at the end of November when Arsenal's injury crisis struck hard, he is always present on the couch.
He was a consistent figure in Arteta's first three and a half seasons, but his struggle to play in the opposite way that the Spaniard demands of his entire back, as well as injuries, saw him sliding the pecking order.
But in every crisis there is an opportunity, and when Tierney has played this season, it is often stationed on the left wing.
When Arsenal had to see matches against Tottenham and Wolves in January, he was brought from the couch and brought to the wing, chosen Sterling in Molineux while the Gunners fought for a crucial 1-0 win.
But far from just a defensive option, he also offers attacking threat. In the quarterfinals of the Carabao Cup against Crystal Palace in December, Tierney was on the left wing in the second half and played some striking crosses in the box.
De Schot has a good delivery to him and a talent to get to the name rule. He has a pre-contract agreement to join Celtic in the summer, but before that time a series of versions on the left wing can be a way to leave.
Another option is Riccardo Calafiori. As seen by his stunning strikes against Manchester City and Wolves, the Italian has an eye for goal and is attack -oriented.
MyLes Lewis-Skelly has taken the left-wing back position of the Italian of £ 42 million in recent weeks. The left wing Calafiori can be back in the team in the short term.
3. Draft in an Academy player
The Academy came to the rescue this season in the form of Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly. Could it do this again?
There are attacking options from the Academy that have made the first team bench in recent months. The most important two are Nathan Butler-Oyedeji and Ismael Kabia, who were on the recent journey from Arsenal to Dubai.
Butler-Oyedeji has made an impressive seven goals and six assists in 10 under 21 league games this season and last month made his senior debut in stopping time against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.
At 22 the attacker is at an age where he must be ready when he is called. Of course, the performance in the Under 21 League does not automatically correlate with success in the first team-de two team are completely different.
Kabia was affected by an injury this season, but when he played in the academy, he performed well.
The 19-year-old provided four assists in five UEFA Youth League matches-the Under 19 version of the Champions League and has an electric pace.
A joker sign would Charles Sagoe Jr. His, he made his Arsenal senior debut in a competition cup in Brentford in September 2023, but his career has had a downward route since then.
The 20-year-old went on loan in the second half of last season on the championship side of Swansea, and only made two performances and then moved to League One Struggers Shrewsbury Town on a seasonal loan in August, but returned to Arsenal in January. He failed to register in a goal or an assist with a loan tint.
4. A wildcard in front
In some parts of the Arsenal fan base, the jury is still on Mikel Merino.
The signing of £ 32 million took time to find his feet in North Londs, after much excitement after his versions for Spain at Euro 2024.
As a left-sided central midfielder, he occasionally saw it as a target threat and has a characteristic that Overtz reflects its hold-up play.
At 6ft 2, Merino is a force to take into account in the air and does not shy away from being stuck. The 28-year-old played in an advanced position behind Havertz in Bournemouth in October and has found the net of set pieces against Liverpool and Brentford.
Only Calafiori and Center Back Gabriel have won a higher percentage of their air duels for Arsenal this season.
Clips from Merino who plunder to the front in his real Sociedad days have recently been spread on social media. Could he be Arsenal's answer to Marouane Fellaini?
5. A completely new formation
Arteta is married to its 4-3-3 system, but desperate times require desperate measures.
He was able to use a 4-4-2 with Nwaneri and Trossard who played as strikers, Sterling on the right wing and Calafiori or Lewis-Skell on the left.
Lewis-Skelly played in midfield in his Academy Days, so can adapt to a position higher on the field, while Nwaneri operated in advance in Arsenal's less than 14 and younger than 15 sides.
The problem here lies in the lack of physicality in advance. Both Nwaneri and Trossard are competent players with pace and are 5ft 9in and 5ft 8in respectively. The lack of a hold-up man, such as 6ft 4 in Havertz, could be a problem in such a setup.
An alternative formation is 3-5-2. William Saliba, Gabriel and Calafiori were able to decide the back, with Lewis-Skelly and Jurrien Timber as the wingbacks.
That would enable Arteta to choose only two from Nwaneri, Trossard and Sterling as his two strikers. This approach would be defensively very solid, but it could limit the attacking output and opportunities of Arsenal.
6. Diving on the free agent market
Admittedly, this is on the stage where we are clamped to the straws. The transfer window is closed, which means that if Arsenal wants to bring in an emergency, they must be a free agent.
Mind you, some names are interesting. Ex-Gunner Carlos Vela, 35, who was in the club from 2005 to 2012, is an option. The 35-year-old left Los Angeles FC last month.
Another is their former arch enemy, Diego Costa. The 36-year-old former Chelsea man was notorious for his antics, but scored 52 goals in 89 Premier League performances for the blues, before a less successful return to England with Wolves in 2022-23, when he just got in just once 25 found games.
He recently played for Brazilian side Gremio. If Costa returned to the Premier League, at least every match would make Arsenal indispensable.
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