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Arsenal do not have a striker capable of firing them to Champions League glory this season, according to former midfielder Paul Merson.
The Gunners renew their quest to win Europe’s premier club competition for the first time when they travel to Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
Arsenal came agonisingly close to winning the Champions League last term, suffering penalty shootout heartache against Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
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However, Sky Sports pundit Merson fears Arsenal lack the required “X factor” to go one step further in the tournament this season.
Merson – who represented Arsenal between 1986 and 1997, winning two league titles – argues Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres cannot be classed as “difference-makers”.
“I like Kai Havertz,” Merson wrote in his latest Sky Sports column. “He’s a good footballer.
“But when the Bayern Munich centre-halves go to bed, is he giving them a sleepless night? Are they awake worrying that they’re playing against Havertz?
“X factor is what wins a Champions League and I don’t see that at Arsenal. I don’t see Havertz or Viktor Gyokeres as the difference-maker.
“It’s fine when you’re playing against lesser teams, but it’s different when you’re playing against Europe’s big boys.”
Arsenal tried to sign marquee forward in the summer
Arsenal tried to capitalise on their Premier League title success last season by making a marquee addition to their forward line in the summer.
The north London club pursued ambitious deals for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior and Juventus star Kenan Yildiz.
However, Arsenal were unable to extract any of those players, while they also sold Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli to Besiktas and Al-Hilal respectively.
Mikel Arteta’s side did sign one forward in the summer, however, acquiring Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge for €40million (£35m).
Arsenal have made a strong start to the season, winning 10 of their 11 games across the Premier League, Champions League, League Cup and Community Shield.
German heavyweights Bayern, on other hand, bounced back from successive draws to thrash RB Leipzig 6-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
The six-time European champions were held to a surprise 3-3 draw with Norwegian outfit Viking in their last Champions League match.
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