Arsenal: ‘There is a lot of room for improvement’ says Arteta
Mikel Arteta needs the January transfer window to shape his Arsenal vision, believes Chris Sutton. The Spaniard took charge of his first game against Bournemouth on Boxing Day as the Gunners fought back to claim a 1-1 draw.
Arsenal mustered 17 shots at Vitality Stadium - their most in an away match this season - while dominating possession.
Such statistics stirred belief that Arteta, educated by Pep Guardiola, is beginning to already have an impact on his side.
But former Premier League winner Sutton reckons the 37-year-old will need new players, especially in defence, in order to be successful at the Emirates.
“Arteta has a hell of a job on his hands to turn this team around,” the ex-striker told the Daily Mail.
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“Against Bournemouth, they gave the ball away, were too slow to react and were 1-0 down seconds later.
“Arteta got rave reviews for his first press conference but he was only answering questions.”
Indeed, Arsenal still conceded 12 shots on goal (four of which were on target) against Bournemouth, who have scored just three goals in their last six home league fixtures.
Arteta’s side not only sits 11th in the table but also in the defensive charts 28 goals conceded at the halfway point of the season.
Arsenal need to improve in defence believes Chris Sutton (Image: Getty)
The experienced but error-prone duo of David Luiz and Sokratis Papastathopoulos started against the Cherries and face a tough test on Sunday (2pm) against Frank Lampard’s unpredictable Chelsea side.
Emirates Stadium has been a cauldron is misery for most of this season but Arteta issued a rallying cry to fans ahead of the London derby.
"I think energy is everything, in life in football and in sport," Arteta said. "If we are able to generate this, it will give us a lift.
"I was really pleased with how the fans treated the players [at Bournemouth] and I was happy that the players went to see the fans after the game as well because we need that connection.
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“Slowly, we need to build that back to where it was. It's going to be very powerful for us to use that. We play for [the fans]. At the end of the day, they're expecting a lot from us.
“We have to give them enjoyment, we have to make their lives better and when we win, it will be better because they will be happier. It's our responsibility and we have to do everything we can to achieve that."