Mikel Arteta details Arsenal's plans for the January transfer window after 2-0 loss to Liverpool

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta played down talks of signing a striker after his side’s 2-0 loss to Liverpool in the FA Cup.

The Gunners were dumped out of the competition in the third round as an own goal from Jakub Kiwior followed by a stoppage-time strike from Luis Diaz put the Reds through.

This was Arsenal’s third consecutive loss in all competitions, having lost to West Ham and Fulham in the Premier League before this. They have now won just once in their last seven games.

This slump in form is largely down to a misfiring attack, as the north London side have netted just five times during those seven games. Arteta, whose job now seems under threat, was posed the question of how realistic it is to bring in a natural goalscorer in the January transfer window.

However, the Spaniard poured cold water over any such possibility. Speaking to beIN Sports after the match, he said (via beIN Sports on X):

“At the moment, it doesn’t look realistic. What my job is, and what we have to do, is improve our players, and try with the players that we have to get better results.”
The Gunners had been linked with Brentford’s Ivan Toney, who has been serving a ban since May 2023 after being found guilty of breaching the FA’s betting rules. However, he will return to action next week, but seemingly not as an Arsenal player after Arteta’s disclosure.

Gabriel Jesus, their main striker, has struggled with several bouts of injuries since joining from Manchester City in 2022, and this has prevented him from conjuring his best for the club.

Arsenal’s season is unraveling fast

Until recently, it seemed like Arsenal had launched another title run after their unsuccessful assault last summer. The Gunners were leading the table and had impressed in their Champions League games too.

But now, just a few weeks later, it’s all unraveling quickly. In the last month, Mikel Arteta’s side has played seven times in all competitions, winning just once and losing four. This includes three defeats in the league alone.

The north London side has fallen to fourth position on the table, five points off leaders Liverpool. After last night, their FA Cup run is over too.