Arteta also confirmed Arsenal were considering travelling to Dubai for a training camp after their Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle on 5 February. Elimination from the FA Cup means Arsenal will have nine days without a match if they secure automatic qualification for the Champions League knockout stages and Arteta must hope a mid-season break can have the same effect as last season, when they won 16 of their last 18 Premier League matches.
?We are looking at options,? he said. ?We knew that when we are involved in other competitions the schedule was going to be like this. We are prepared for that and we?re going to face it.?
I doubt any of them get their round in anyway.
What's your strategy now; limp to the end of the season or bring our Summer striker spending spree (ha!) forward?
If there's any principle behind not having done that before (and I do not want to believe there is), two starting forwards out long-term provides perfect cover for that
"Plenty of strikers can score goals," he said, gesturing to the famous old stands casting shadows around us.
"But a lot have found it difficult wearing the number 9 shirt for The Arsenal."
Well... now we need a striker and there is no arguing with that. My guess is he will look for a loan as I doubt he has a particular target ready and, let's be honest, who sells a top class striker in January?
I wouldn't bank on seeing Saka for a while, or on what he will look like when he is back. So yeah, I think he has to do something.
I have no advice to offer. I don't know what he should do. But it must be something.