Daniel Sturridge says Mikel Arteta has finally got Arsenal past their biggest Premier League ‘question mark’

Of course, recent seasons have seen Arsenal pull away when the going gets tough. Liverpool and Man City – twice – have come away from the Gunners, sparking concerns that Mikel Arteta’s charges simply do not have the strength to cope.

Be honest, what would be your first reaction if Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was punished for stepping out of his technical area?

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However, after another summer of big spending in key areas, Arsenal now look as good as ever.

And according to former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge, Arteta has solved a key problem which is helping the Gunners.

Mikel Arteta says he has finally solved Arsenal’s biggest problem

Over the last few years, the main argument against Arsenal as title contenders has been the lack of a truly quality number nine.

Mikel Arteta solved that problem by signing Viktor Gyokeres in the summer and although he was disappointing at times, he improved the team.

However, while the signing of Gyokeres made the difference, Daniel Sturridge believes it was Arteta’s defensive additions that proved the difference.

“They have Gabriel Jesus coming back, who has been brilliant for the club throughout his career and Havertz. And then defensively, as Micah said, with Gabriel coming back, Hincapie has been brilliant, Mosquera has been brilliant. That was the question mark before,” Sturridge suggested on the Sky Sports Premier League podcast.

“Okay, defenders, if they lose Saliba, they lose Gabriel, maybe they won’t be able to compete. Maybe because of these injuries, they have brought in two quality central defenders who help them.

“So across the whole pitch now, there’s really no excuse for Arsenal other than injuries.”

Arsenal take inspiration from Manchester City’s title-winning playbook

We all know how important it is to score goals in football. This is why big money is spent on strikers and, ultimately, this is why those with the best number nine are usually successful.

However, in recent years there has been a shift towards those with strength and quality at the back coming out on top.

A few seasons ago we saw Pep Guardiola come into his own with a hugely successful defense, made up of defenders who had strength, power, quality on the ball and, above all, reserve players who were equally comfortable stepping up.

What is your prediction for Bournemouth vs Arsenal and who do you think will score the first goal?

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Arsenal have it now. Yes, the first choice back four are brilliant, but as Sturridge says, Hincapie, Mosquera and Lewis-Skelly have all been magnificent at times.

Ultimately, that’s what will get Arsenal over the line and if Saliba and Gabriel stay fully fit then it’s hard to see anyone stopping the Gunners.