Following their crushing loss to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final, Arsenal is still under fire for their style of play. At Wembley Stadium on Sunday, Mikel Arteta’s team lost 2-0 and spent a large portion of the second half behind.
The Gunners’ attempt to win four different titles ended in disappointment as their attacking shortcomings were once again brought to light ahead of a pivotal moment in the campaign. Arsenal will need to bounce back after the international break to keep their Premier League championship challenge from being derailed by the psychological impact of the loss.
In addition to having an advantageous Champions League quarterfinal draw against Sporting CP, Arteta’s team is presently nine points ahead of City in the standings. before their upcoming match, a trip to Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-final.
Chris Waddle, a former midfielder for England, has questioned if Arsenal needs to recruit Sandro Tonali given that they also have Declan Rice. Following Mikel Merino’s injury in January, the Gunners were strongly linked to a bid for Tonali, but Newcastle was unwilling to allow one of their most important players to go.
Declan Rice transfer issue emerges
However, Arsenal and Manchester United are still in contact with the 25-year-old Newcastle midfield player, who is valued at almost £100 million.
Waddle argues that despite the Italian’s obvious potential, Arsenal doesn’t need him because of how similar he is to Rice. “They have Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi, who’s a very good player,” Waddle said to FootballTransfers. However, it appears that Arsenal gathers players.
“Tonali has improved this season after having a few outstanding seasons. I’m not shocked that many teams are interested in him since he’s a terrific age. He’s a very economical player; he’s a little bit like Declan Rice, let’s be honest, he’s very consistent with his pass ratio, he’s got a good shot and he’s got a good engine.
“In my mind, he’s a very similar player to Declan Rice, though. Is it really necessary for Arsenal to have another player like that? I am aware that teams get stronger each year, which is how football progresses.
