Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger expecting goals from Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott
Sunday 14 August 2016 17:33, UK
Arsene Wenger knows his side must improve in front of goal and is backing his current crop of strikers to deliver.
The Gunners were the lowest scorers in last season's top four as they finished a distant second to surprise Premier League champions Leicester.
Their total of 65 goals means it was also their most barren season in front of goal in nine years, with only Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez scoring more than five times in the league.
Wenger failed in his efforts to prise Jamie Vardy away from Leicester during the summer, and despite speculation linking Arsenal with a move for Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette, 21-year-old Japan international Takuma Asano is so far the only new forward arrival at the Emirates Stadium.
Asked if his side to add more goals to their game, Wenger admitted: "Yes. That's one of the domains where last year we were not the most efficient.
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"We were the highest team in expected chances created. We were the highest team in quality of chances created in the final third."
But Wenger has backed the likes of Giroud, Sanchez and Theo Walcott to produce the goods.
"We have Sanchez, we have Walcott, we're not at our level in the finishing qualities and I think that is where we want to improve," he replied when asked if he needed another striker to complement Giroud.
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"Our finishing last year was of a worse quality than the year before and we had the same players. That means that it's a bit cyclical.
"I think it's linked with the fact that we had some players out for a long period last season and hopefully we will have everybody available for much longer this season."
Wenger's immediate problems ahead of Sunday's visit of Liverpool - live and exclusive on Sky Sports 1 HD - lie at the back.
Calum Chambers and Rob Holding have featured regularly in pre-season at the heart of Arsenal's defence and could be called upon by Wenger.
"I have a few options at the back that you have seen in pre-season," Wenger added. "It's basically the players we have available are quite young but they want to do well."
