Arsenal rueing missed opportunity to sign Birmingham striker
Published:Tony Cascarino believes that Arsenal made a massive mistake in the January transfer window by failing to make an offer for Birmingham’s Kevin Phillips.
According to Cascarino, Phillips is the best finisher in the top flight and his natural predatory instincts inside the penalty box could have been of major benefit to Arsenal.
This point was proven to some degree in the latest round of Premier League games, as Phillips found the target to help Birmingham beat Bolton, while Arsenal wasted a hatful of decent chances in a goalless draw at home to Blackburn.
It is not the first time in recent games that a lack of a killer finisher could come back to haunt Arsenal in their bid for the Premier League title, as Sunderland also left the Emirates with a goalless draw, while they had numerous shots on target at West Brom, but only left with a draw.
This run of three Premier League games without a victory is threatening to end any title hopes Arsene Wenger has, with Arsenal’s betting odds now 9/2 to win the Premier League.
Cascarino does raise a useful point in that Phillips could prove a useful impact substitute for the final 15 minutes of a tight game and is arguably more likely to be more clinical with a decent chance than some other players within the current squad.
It certainly could be argued that Phillips would have made a better fist of the late chance wasted by Nicklas Bendtner against Barcelona in the Champions League.
However, to say that Arsenal are lacking a goalscorer may be a bit far-fetched as Robin Van Persie has 11 goals in 17 Premier League games, while only Manchester United have managed more Premier League goals than the Gunners this season.
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