Arsenal’s strong showing in both the Premier League and Champions League in 2024/25 season has left fans dreaming of silverware next term, but according to Ally McCoist, they are just one key signing away from transforming into an unstoppable juggernaut.
The legendary former Scotland and Rangers striker – who has been a regular voice in the commentary box for Arsenal matches this season – offered his insights on where Mikel Arteta’s men still fall short.
'A fit Gabriel would have made a huge difference this season'
"Well, it's probably the standard answer that every Arsenal fan would give you," McCoist tells FourFourTwo on behalf of talksportBET. “That’s a proper striker. But the biggest thing I would say, before I go into the center forward position, is the defence. Jakub Kiwior came on against PSG in the Champions League and did well in Gabriel’s absence. But they missed Gabriel.
“Had he been available, he would have made a huge difference. I don't have any doubt about that. There is a huge drop-off in quality behind the likes of Gabriel and the top teams, the ones that go on and win big titles, cope better with those losses than Arsenal do."
Yet despite this, the Gunners' defensive unit – marshalled by William Saliba and the reliable Jurrien Timber – have impressed. "But in the grand scheme of things, I think they’ve given a really good account of themselves this season at the back," McCoist adds, but it’s at the other end of the pitch where believes the crucial difference can be made.
"Further forward, they have another issue,” he explains. “They’ve failed to do the thing that you need to do, particularly when you’re on top of a game, and that's to score goals. A lot of times this season, we’ve seen good balls flash right across the front of the goal and nobody’s been there to get a toe or a head on it."
The absence of a clinical No.9 has been an issue at the Emirates for some time now, with Arteta often playing hybrid winger-forwards, like Leandro Trossard, or midfielder-forwards, like Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino, in the centre-forward position.
"The players they have in that role have done OK. I like Merino as a player,” says McCoist. “I think he's a clever player, an intelligent player, and I was saying the same for Kai Havertz when he was fit and available.
“But the fact of the matter is, there's not an out and out center forward in that squad other than Gabriel Jesus, who blows hot and cold at times. They need an out and out center-forward to arrive this summer. That's the biggest thing that they were missing this year."
For McCoist, the addition of a striker could make all the difference next term. "Because I thought they had a great campaign – make no mistake about that, it’s been a great campaign,” says McCoist, who won 10 Scottish titles during a glittering playing career. “They were excellent in those games against Real Madrid. That's the level I can play at. They just need a couple of tweaks and they could be unstoppable."
