Arsenal have struggled for goals since losing Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus to season-ending injuries and former Gunners star Ian Wright has reflected on what might have been
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright is pleased to see ex-Gunner Mika Biereth thriving at Monaco. However, he recognises the Premier League club’s failure to make the most of the Dane’s talents – especially given their attacking issues of late.
Biereth spent three years with Arsenal after joining as a teenager. He made it onto the bench for Premier League and domestic cup games, including the Carabao Cup semi against Liverpool in 2022, but never made a first-team appearance.
After a series of loans, the 22-year-old left Arsenal permanently last summer, joining Sturm Graz for £4million. After scoring 14 goals in the first half of the season, he was snapped up by Monaco and picked up where he left off.
The frontman has three hat-tricks in just nine Ligue 1 matches for Monaco, and 11 goals in total for the club. A particular highlight came in February, where he struck three times in the space of less than 10 minutes in a 4-2 victory over Auxerre.
With Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus ruled out for the season, some fans are wondering what might have been with Biereth. And pundit Wright can see both sides.
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“If I’m honest it must’ve been something with the plans Arsenal had,” Wright told GFFN. “Mika should’ve been in and around it at the moment.
“One of our chats early on was about him showing himself in the preseason for Arsenal and giving it his best go. But he had the bravery to go to Scotland, then Austria and now France and that is what shows he wants to be the best!
“He has to be playing to prove that. His record speaks for itself. It’s disappointing for Arsenal but on a human level, I’m delighted for him.”
After losing Jesus to a season-ending ACL injury, Arsenal explored the possibility of adding a new striker in January. They were unable to land Ollie Watkins, though, after not meeting Aston Villa’s valuation of the England striker.
The Gunners looked in decent shape when they thrashed Manchester City at the start of February. However, Gabriel Martinelli picked up an injury just days later and Havertz’s season-ending setback added salt to the wound.
Since losing Havertz, Arsenal have scored just four times in five league games, picking up seven points in the process to lose ground on league leaders Liverpool.. They put nine past PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, though, to set up a quarter-final clash with Real Madrid.
The return of Martinelli and Bukayo Saka from injury is set to give the Gunners more options for that European double-header. However, with Biereth banging in the goals across the channel, there’s still a ‘what if?’ for some around North London.
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