BREAKING NEWS: “I’ve always backed Arsenal to win the Premier League, but Arteta must part ways with these THREE players if he wants to accomplish more than just a Top 4 finish. In the three encounters this season, they couldn’t even manage a shot on target,” says Newcastle coach Eddie Howe, revealing the THREE players Arteta must let go of by summer.

I have always backed Arsenal to win the Premier League, but if Mikel Arteta wants to achieve more than just a top-four finish, he must offload three underperforming players. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has identified these three players as the weak links in the squad, emphasizing their inability to register a single shot on target in three meetings this season.

Arsenal’s struggles were evident in their League Cup semi-final defeat against Newcastle. The Magpies secured a comfortable victory, knocking the Gunners out of the competition. Alexander Isak had an early goal disallowed for a marginal offside, but Newcastle soon took the lead when Jacob Murphy capitalized on Isak’s rebound off the post.

A costly error from Arsenal’s goalkeeper, David Raya, handed Newcastle their second goal. Raya’s misplaced pass led to a turnover, allowing Anthony Gordon to find the back of the net. The defeat raised questions about certain Arsenal players’ performances, and football.london provided player ratings that highlighted the team’s shortcomings.

Arsenal Player Ratings:

David Raya (4/10): He could do little about the first goal but was directly responsible for the second, gifting possession to Newcastle.

Jurrien Timber (5/10): Struggled under pressure and ran the ball out of play multiple times.

William Saliba (4/10): Uncharacteristically sloppy, booked in the first half, and later gifted Gordon an open-goal chance.

Gabriel Magalhães (5/10): Found it difficult to handle Newcastle’s pace and physicality.

Myles Lewis-Skelly (7/10): Showed flashes of brilliance with his strength and technical ability.

Thomas Partey (7/10): Provided stability in midfield with strong movement and precise passing.

Declan Rice (6/10): Worked hard but lacked the cutting edge seen in previous games.

Martin Ødegaard (5/10): Missed a golden opportunity in the first half, which led to a Newcastle counterattack and goal.

Gabriel Martinelli (5/10): Looked lively before suffering a hamstring injury before halftime.

Leandro Trossard (5/10): Had a chance in the first half but failed to trouble the goalkeeper.

Kai Havertz (4/10): Another disappointing display that did little to change his standing in the squad.

Substitutes:

Ethan Nwaneri (6/10): Showed promise with some dangerous runs and crosses but couldn’t make a major impact.

Mikel Merino (5/10): Replaced Ødegaard but contributed little.

With another lackluster performance, the pressure is mounting on Arteta to make key changes. If Arsenal are to truly challenge for the title, the manager may need to part ways with players who are not delivering in crucial moments.