LONDON, Jan 8 — Arsenal’s sudden inability to put the ball in the opposition’s net is threatening to undermine a season that looked so full of promise and manager Mikel Arteta appears at a loss to know why the goals have dried up.

His side suffered a third successive defeat yesterday as they went down 2-0 at home to Liverpool in the FA Cup third round despite having enough first-half chances to have cruised into the draw for the next round.

Arteta’s side have now had 61 goal attempts in the last three games — a 2-0 home defeat by West Ham United and a 2-1 loss at Fulham, both in the Premier League, and yesterday’s frustrating Cup exit against Liverpool — and scored once.

While Liverpool’s 7,000 travelling fans celebrated, Arsenal’s left the Emirates Stadium chuntering about the need for a new striker in the transfer window.

You could see their point too as Reiss Nelson, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka all wasted good chances against Liverpool while captain Martin Odegaard was denied by the crossbar.

Asked why his side could not score past a Liverpool defence missing their talisman Virgil van Dijk, who was ill, Arteta was clearly not amused. “Yeah it is frustrating but what can we do? I can’t tell them play bad, don’t shoot, and score an own goal,” the Spaniard told reporters.

“I haven’t seen a team in the past six months that has generated what we have done against them. We haven’t capitalised. When my team plays with that courage and attitude against probably the best team in Europe right now what can I do but stick by them.”

Arteta said that the absent Brazil forward Gabriel Jesus had required a scan after some pain in his knee but hoped it was “nothing big”. Quizzed on whether a new striker might be arriving in the January transfer window to try and get the season back on track, Arteta added: “One thing is what we need and another is what we can do. What we can do is stick behind those players.”

Arsenal, who have gone four games without a win, are not in action again until Jan. 20 when they host Crystal Palace in the Premier League. — Reuters