Sol Campbell claims one striker might not be enough to turn Arsenal into champions ahead of Viktor Gyokeres transfer
The Gunners legend, 50, says his former club 'need TWO strikers' to turn them into top dogs.
2
2
Ex-England defender Campbell lifted the title twice for the North London club and was part of the Invincibles squad - the last Arsenal team to win the Premier League.
Arteta lifted the FA Cup in his first season in charge five years ago and has led them to runners-up spot in the top-flight for three consecutive seasons.
Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke and Christian Norgaard are already on board and Gyokeres looks set to join and finally fill the striker void.
Many believe this could be Arteta's year - though Campbell, speaking exclusively to The Sun via betting site BetSelect, insists they still need more firepower to go with the ex-Coventry hotshot.
He said: 'You need two strikers to trouble other teams. You can't always rely on just one striker as if he gets injured, the team's performance drops.
'So it's important to have a main one and have another really good backup. Sometimes they can play together, sometimes one's on the bench and the other comes on. It can be good to get a slightly older one who's been there, seen it, and done it, and can come on when you need something to happen for 20 minutes, but they're top, top quality.
'If you pick the second striker properly, they can come on to make a difference. That's something you have to do. So if they do get two strikers, they could definitely become champions.
'That's the type of player who has been missing, somebody who has scored 20-25 goals just in the league. It's okay to say, 'he's got all of these goals in all of these competitions,' but that's not good enough; that's not going to win you the Premier League. You need goals to get you over the line and make up point differences.'
Campbell also backed Arteta to eventually 'get his moment' and lead the Gunners back to glory.
He said: 'Deep down, the players want to win for him. He's desperate to win something. He's doing everything in his power to get that right mentality and that right set of players. He's probably thinking now, 'we've got one chance to do it'. This is the year he'll feel like he's got the right materials and the right players.
Declan Rice and the Arsenal squad thank fans for coming out at Singapore match
'He'll get his moment, but when those moments come, he needs the players on the pitch to do the job, whether that's a big save or a big goal in a big game.
'Arteta wants to win something. He knows this team needs to win something. If you get the right centre forward and get everything clicking together, Arsenal have a great chance.
'Every time a player is on the pitch, he has to play his best. You have to be up for it, and he's getting that team together. He's doing the right things and creating the right environment to win.'
Campbell is also delighted to see Arsenal getting their transfer business done early.
He added: 'It's so important to get the players that you want in. They get a good pre-season and a good month to settle in, and you really start to form that mentality.
'That's when you begin to think - we've got a good squad here, we've got a chance, if you give us the chance, we're going to take it.
'If you've got the right mentality and the right chemistry in the team, they will keep going and want to win.
'The truth is, if you haven't won anything, it's going to be hard to win your first one. Really hard. If you haven't won it, how do you build that confidence to win? Sometimes you need winners. Sometimes you might need to buy a couple of winners. Even a player who's won something in another country. They know what it takes to be a winner.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
20 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Newcastle launch improved bid for RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko
Newcastle have raised their bid for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko. Manchester United had still to submit a formal offer for the Slovenia international as of Monday afternoon. Newcastle's first bid was worth an initial €75m (£65.5m) with a further €5m (£4.3m) in add-ons but the Tyneside club are now guaranteeing the Bundesliga club at least €80m. United opted to prioritise a move for Sesko over Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins but the 22-year-old's price tag is creeping up now Newcastle have increased their initial offer. Newcastle co-owner Jamie Reuben is said to have held positive talks with Leipzig on Monday. Sesko is thought to be waiting to see what United do before making a final decision on his future. However, Leipzig are reported to be unwilling to sell Sesko below their stated expectations on a fee. On Sunday, Omar Berrada, the United chief executive, said the club's director of football Jason Wilcox and his recruitment team were working 'around the clock' to make further additions to the squad. United wanted to sign Liam Delap at the start of the season but the striker turned them down in order to join Chelsea from Ipswich for £30m. 'We have a team back home led by Jason – the recruitment team – that is working around the clock to ensure that we continue to find opportunities to strengthen our squad. There are lots of late calls and early morning meetings to make sure that we stay on top of it.' Newcastle's move for Sesko comes amid continuing uncertainty over the future of Alexander Isak. The Sweden striker has signalled his desire to leave St James' Park. Liverpool had a £110m bid for Isak rejected last Friday.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Mohamed Salah left with egg on his face after denying Cody Gakpo hat-trick chance
Liverpool rounded off pre-season with a productive evening against Spanish side Athletic Bilbao but it wasn't all positive for forward Mohamed Salah despite finding the net for Arne Slot's side Mohamed Salah robbed Cody Gakpo the chance of a hat-trick with a woeful penalty at Anfield. The Egyptian forward started in Liverpool 's pre-season clash against Athletic Bilbao on Monday. It was the second time that the Reds had taken on the Spanish side at Anfield. They had already secured a 4-1 win earlier in the day - Rio Ngumoha, Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott all finding the net for Arne Slot 's side. Salah then got Liverpool off to the perfect start in their second match after firing home Hugo Ekitike's cross. Oihan Sancet equalised for Bilbao, only for Gakpo to restore Liverpool's lead. The Dutchman remained at the heart of things after scoring an own goal but he scored once again in the right end to rack up a brace. He then had a golden chance to secure an eye-catching pre-season hat-trick as Liverpool were awarded an 80th-minute penalty. But instead of Gakpo, Salah was the man to step up. While he is usually reliable from the spot, the Egyptian blazed the ball high over the crossbar. Salah could afford himself a wry smile after the miss but will certainly hope to re-find his aim as Liverpool return to action next weekend. The Reds take on FA Cup holders Crystal Palace in the Community Shield at Wembley next weekend before their Premier League opener against Bournemouth in just under a fortnight's time. Gakpo in the meantime will be hoping to continue his hot form. Speaking ahead of his latest appearance, he said: "It was my best return so far [last season] but me as a player and as a person I always strive to do better and do more. 'Hopefully this year is going to be a better one. I am just trying to get more goals and more assists. "It was an ankle injury and it was difficult and I tried to come back as quickly as possible because we had some important games but unfortunately I had a setback again in training and then it took longer to get into the rhythm again and get confidence when you are in duels or shooting on target with the ankle and you are maybe not as confident at that time. "So that was not nice for the rhythm where I was before but this is also a part of football and you have to overcome it, so I think the last games of the season went better for my ankle, I didn't feel it as much before. So I think now we just have to start the season fit and move." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Brendon McCullum's era is still lacking a prize scalp as England come up short again, writes LAWRENCE BOOTH - after India fight back to deserved draw
A series that has given us everything was never going to end any other way. With England needing seven to win — or six for the tie that would have secured the series — Gus Atkinson swung for glory and lost his off stump to Mohammed Siraj, India 's bowling hero of an astonishing few weeks. At the other end was Chris Woakes, his left arm in a sling to protect a dislocated shoulder and a symbol of England's desperation for victory. Even without facing a ball, he felt as central a protagonist as anyone. A quarter of an hour earlier, Woakes walked out to a standing ovation from a crowd of 25,000, who had all turned up just to be able to say: 'I was there.' Now, the applause rang out for India and for Siraj, a 2–2 draw plucked from the fire. The Oval has rarely witnessed scenes like it. Even the workmen building luxury apartments in the famous gasholders downed tools to watch. The decisive exchanges of the inaugural Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy had been condensed into less than an hour on an overcast final morning, the 25th day of the 25 scheduled. The equation was simple — England needed 35 runs, India four wickets, though with the caveat that Woakes would be no more than a non-striker. When Jamie Overton pulled and inside-edged the day's first two balls for four, home hopes grew. But Siraj is a warrior of a fast bowler, armed with the skills of a surgeon. He had Jamie Smith caught behind from the third ball of the second over, then won a marginal lbw decision against Overton, with England still 20 short. Three runs later, Prasidh Krishna bowled Josh Tongue for a duck, leaving India on the brink of victory. Out walked Woakes, a spine-tingling moment acknowledged by both sets of fans and pre-destined to go down as one of cricket's bravest acts, whatever the result. Gus Atkinson swung Siraj for six, the ball tipped over the ropes by a diving Akash Deep, then pinched a bye as Woakes grimaced in pain. Even the act of running was agony. Goodness knows what would have happened had he been required to take strike. With 10 needed, Atkinson pulled Krishna for two, before once more pinching the strike. Siraj, though, was a man possessed and produced a perfect full-length delivery that dipped under Atkinson's legside mow. As India celebrated the narrowest win in their Test history, it was impossible to deny that a drawn series was the fairest result. The tourists had chances to win both the games they lost, at Headingley and Lord's, and in Siraj had the only seamer who lasted all five Tests. So much for Jasprit Bumrah, whose three games coincided with two England wins and a draw. In the games he played, Siraj took seven wickets at 61. In the two he missed, Siraj took 16 at 19, relishing the extra burden. Last man out during India's 22-run defeat at Lord's, he then dropped Harry Brook early in his 195-run stand with Joe Root on the third afternoon at the Oval. Instead, he will be remembered for his five-for here and 23 wickets in all, four clear of anyone else. The line between hero and villain can be perilously thin. It seems harsh to ask what went wrong for England when six more runs would have spawned questions about what went right. In one sense, their narrow defeat counts among their most heroic failures, given the absence of Ben Stokes just as he threatened to peak in Manchester, and the injury to Woakes, which left England's three inexperienced seamers with too much to do. Yet they will also know that, at 301 for three, with Brook and Root batting beautifully and India losing heart, a target of 374 was within reach. To lose seven for 66 reflected poorly on some of the shot selection — not least by Jacob Bethell and Smith — as much as it reflected well on India's seamers. The nature of narrow defeats is such that every passage of play attracts greater scrutiny in hindsight. What might have happened had England not dropped six catches, or Tongue had not conceded 11 wides in his first over, or Washington Sundar had not squeezed 39 out of India's last wicket? The ifs and buts will linger for a while, for England came within a whisker of the prize scalp the Bazball era has craved. Thanks to the Manchester rain in 2023, and India's fightback here, their two home series against Australia and India under Brendon McCullum have finished all square. Their record under Stokes and McCullum remains strong, but Bazball's critics — mainly in Australia and India, though plenty in England — will not take them seriously until they beat one of the other members of the so-called Big Three. The stakes going into this winter's Ashes are considerably higher than if they had won 3–1. This series, at least, has allowed them to make a call on a few fringe players. Liam Dawson and Overton look out of the reckoning, while Woakes — 37 before the start of the next home summer — may have played his final Test. But some questions remain unresolved. Ollie Pope, captain in this game, averaged just 34 in a series so batsman-friendly that 12 different players totalled 21 centuries, including seven between Shubman Gill and Root alone. Zak Crawley averaged 32, but while his place is protected in part by his opening partnership with Ben Duckett, Pope has no such security blanket. Despite his double failure here, Bethell must come into the mix for Australia. As ever, much will come down to the fitness of Stokes, who won the man of the match awards at Lord's and Old Trafford and balanced the line-up in a manner beyond any other player. The first half of England's defining year has ended in disappointment, but not defeat. The second will provide a clearer picture.
