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    • Mikel Arteta responds to Arsenal claims they are missing a striker like Alexander Isak after Newcastle defeat | Football
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    Mikel Arteta responds to Arsenal claims they are missing a striker like Alexander Isak after Newcastle defeat | Football

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    Newcastle star Alexander Isak
    Alexander Isak stunned Arsenal with a header in the 14th minute (Image: Getty)

    Mikel Arteta rejected the suggestion that Arsenal they lack an outright centre-forward in the form of Alexander Isak after his side fell to a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle this afternoon.

    Isak outpaced Gabriel Magalhaes and beat David Raya with a powerful header to open the scoring in the 14th minute of the contest and visitors Arsenal simply had no answers at St James’ Park.

    Managing just one shot on target throughout the 90 minutes, the Gunners never looked like troubling Nick Pope in the Newcastle goal and the result means Mikel Arteta’s men have dropped points in each of their last three matches from the Premier League.

    Newcastle moved up to ninth in the table with victory, while Arsenal missed the chance to close the gap on leaders Manchester City, who face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium this afternoon.

    The north London giants will look to get back to winning ways away to Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday night, ahead of a eagerly awaited game against bitter rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge next weekend.

    “We started the game very well. We were on top, we looked sharp, we looked alive,” Arsenal head coach Arteta told reporters at his post-match press conference.

    “Then in one action, I play straight, the second ball, they are very good and put the ball wide. It was an unbelievable crossover and ending.


    Arsenal players
    Arsenal are yet to hit their stride in the Premier League this season (Image: Getty)

    “After that, the momentum changes, the energy changes and you know the game they want to play, it’s clear.

    “You are, too often, dragged into this type of game and we weren’t good enough, we didn’t have enough answers to get out of it, especially creating the threat we needed.

    “At the end, you rely on the two or three big chances we had with Mikel (Merino), two with Declan (Rice) and one with Gabi, but you don’t threaten enough to say we could win the game, so that’s the frustrating part.

    “Credit to them and what they do.”


    Alexander Isak
    The Gunners have long been credited with an interest in Isak (Image: Getty)

    Arteta hopes his players can regroup quickly and “react” to the disappointing setback with a strong performance at the San Siro in midweek.

    “It’s about how we react. We know we won’t find the right answers or words right now to describe how we feel,” he added.

    “We definitely have to put it on the pitch on Wednesday night against Inter.


    Mikel Arteta
    Arteta has urged his players to ‘react’ in the Champions League against Inter Milan (Image: Getty)

    “It’s not about hoping to win the title, it’s about being the best version of ourselves every week and today we certainly weren’t the best version of ourselves.”

    Newcastle match-winner Isak has been heavily linked with Arsenal for some time but the Gunners kept their faith in Kai Havertz in the false no. 9 this season.

    Asked if his team lacked a recognized centre-forward like Isak, Arteta replied: “I don’t know. I love my players and wouldn’t trade them for anyone else.

    Arsenal have undoubtedly missed Martin Odegaard’s creativity in the middle of the park, with the Norwegian missing the club’s last 12 games in all competitions with an ankle injury.

    “We can talk about this all day.” At the moment we haven’t had it, we haven’t had it in the last six weeks and we don’t have it yet’, continued Arteta.

    “But we have many other answers that can be very effective.

    “Today, we have to look at ourselves, congratulate Newcastle and move on.”

    For more stories like this, check out our sports page.

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