WITH Thierry Henry in his pomp, Arsène Wenger's Arsenal went 49 Prem matches unbeaten between May 2003 and October 2004.
More than two decades later, Mikel Arteta's Gunners are in danger of seeing their season unravel in spectacular fashion after just ONE goal from 49 shots in two games.
The difference? This includes a top scorer like club legend Henry, who scored 39 league goals in those record-breaking seventeen months.
It comes as no surprise that another Arsenal hero, Martin Keown, has told Arteta that a world-class striker would be the “icing on the cake” in his quest to achieve greatness at the club.
And as for confidence-boosting striker Kai Havertz – ahead of a huge north London Derby clash with Tottenham tomorrow night – the German has been warned: step up or face off.
Frenchman Henry – Mr Va Va Voom – emerged as Arsenal's snarling goalscoring machine during that 49-match run 21 years ago, including winning the Prem title as Invincibles in 2004.
Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United side ended their unbeaten streak in controversial fashion at Old Trafford thanks to Ruud van Nistelrooy's emphatic penalty.
And in another spirited encounter between the two sides on Sunday, penalties secured an FA Cup third round tie at the Emirates, this time ending with Joshua Zirkzee's shoot-out winning goal.
But in reality, Arsenal were their own worst enemy, and not for the first time. They scored just once from 26 shots after failing to find the net from 23 shots in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg 2-0 defeat to Newcastle. home soil.
Havertz – who has scored seven goals in 17 Prem appearances so far – squandered a string of blatant chances against a struggling 10-man United side before missing in the shoot-out.
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Skipper Martin Odegaard also missed a 12-yarder in the 72nd minute with the score at 1-1.
Arteta has insisted his current crop have an eye for goals, citing broken scoring records over the past two years – with 114 goals in 2024 at the top level [2.28 per game] since 1963.
Injuries have also hampered progress. Bukayo Saka is out until at least March after hamstring surgery, while Gabriel Jesus is also facing a long layoff after being taken off on a stretcher against United with a knee injury.
Scans this week will reveal the worst.
But Arteta's calls for calm and patience have fallen on deaf ears, while piercing eyes turn to co-owners Stan and Josh Kroenke to invest in one key reinforcement.
Invincible Keown – who won two league titles alongside Henry in 2002 and 2004 – told SunSport: “The foundations for Arsenal to be successful are there.
“But the icing on the cake is the goalscorer. That's the player they need now. The last third is where the money should be spent and it should be on the right person.
“They need that knockout and you need a striker to get that belief back. The team looks very thin.
“Arteta is ruthless enough to give players a chance and then make the necessary changes if they don't produce or step up. He strives for greatness. He wants to be a winner.”
Arsenal may be in a good position financially, but they are not in a position to spend over £100 million on top target and Toon sensation Alexander Isak, nor are they willing to stretch their wage structure for a promising talent like Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao. .
This quest could become Arteta's Achilles heel after five years in the role, even as Arsenal remain in the hunt for silverware this season, six points clear of Prem leaders Liverpool – who have a game in hand – and the chance to salvage their Carabao Cup . hopes to be at St James' Park next month.
And with rivals Spurs next, Keown added on behalf of TNT Sports: “Arsenal have had a disastrous week, a nightmare season, but you need a special group of players with an inner drive to find a way find to win.
'You can't feel sorry for yourself. Injured animals are dangerous and you have to use that as oxygen.”
***Watch Arsenal v Spurs live on TNT Sports 1 from 6.30pm on Wednesday 15 January. TNT Sports is available on streaming Destination Discovery+ and on all major TV platforms. Discover more here***
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