William Gallas questions Arsenal’s strikerless approach in Champions League pursuit
Arsenal’s search for a first UEFA Champions League title continues to shape debate about how Mikel Arteta’s side should attack Europe’s best teams. Former Gunners defender William Gallas believes the club may be taking a risk by regularly using Kai Havertz as a false nine, arguing that only Paris Saint-Germain have shown they can thrive in major European competition without a conventional centre-forward.
Arteta has a deep pool of attacking talent for the 2026–27 campaign, giving him several ways to build his forward line. Yet the Arsenal manager has continued to favour Havertz in a central role, where the Germany international often drops into midfield rather than staying close to the opposition’s centre-backs. The approach can help Arsenal control possession and create space for runners, but Gallas’s comments raise a familiar question: can the Gunners’ system deliver enough reliable goals when the pressure is at its highest?
Gallas points to PSG as the exception
Speaking to GOAL, Gallas said: “Only Paris Saint-Germain can play without a striker” and still prosper in European competition. His point is not necessarily that Arsenal must always start a traditional number nine. Rather, he appears to be questioning whether a striker-light setup is suitable for every club, particularly one still trying to turn domestic consistency into a Champions League triumph.
PSG’s attacking model has often relied on movement, technical quality and players rotating across the front line. That can make it difficult for defenders to track their opponents, especially when midfielders join attacks and wide forwards cut inside. But such a system depends on exceptional individual talent, precise coordination and the ability to convert chances from different areas of the pitch. Gallas’s comparison suggests he does not believe Arsenal can simply copy the formula and expect the same results.
That is a useful distinction in the wider football debate. A team can dominate the ball, create overloads and move opponents out of position without having a fixed striker. However, in tight knockout matches, possession alone is rarely enough. A clear focal point can occupy defenders, attack crosses, contest long passes and provide a dependable target when a carefully constructed move breaks down.
Why Arteta values Havertz as a false nine
Havertz offers Arsenal qualities that a conventional penalty-box striker may not provide in the same way. His willingness to drop deeper can give the midfield an extra passing option, while his height and movement still make him a threat when crosses arrive. When he vacates the centre, wide attackers and midfield runners can push into the space behind him, creating several possible routes to goal.
The role also fits Arteta’s preference for flexible attacking patterns. Arsenal can build through the middle, switch play to the wings or encourage a forward to link with the midfield before arriving late in the box. A false nine can make the team harder to read because the opposition must decide whether a centre-back should follow Havertz into midfield or hold the defensive line.
There are trade-offs, though. If Havertz drops away from goal and Arsenal’s other attackers do not time their runs well, the penalty area can be left short of a regular target. That may reduce the value of crosses and make it easier for opponents to defend the central channel. Against compact teams, Arsenal may also need a forward who can turn half-chances into goals without requiring a long sequence of passes.
Arsenal’s Champions League challenge
Arsenal’s European ambitions make the debate more than a discussion about tactics. The Champions League can punish small weaknesses, particularly in the later stages, when opponents are experienced, organised and capable of exploiting a slow spell. A team may look impressive over a full league season but still need a different attacking solution when facing a disciplined defence in a two-legged tie.
For Arteta, the challenge is to keep the benefits of Havertz’s link-up play while ensuring Arsenal have enough presence in the box. That could mean adjusting the movements around him, asking a winger to attack the far post or giving a midfielder more freedom to make forward runs. It could also mean changing personnel when the match calls for a more direct approach.
Arsenal’s attacking depth gives the manager options, but depth is only valuable if it can be used to solve different problems. A false nine may be effective against opponents who press aggressively and leave space behind. A more traditional striker could be useful against a low block, when Arsenal need someone to occupy defenders and finish deliveries into the area. Tactical flexibility, rather than loyalty to one formation, may be the key to making the squad’s firepower count.
What to watch in Arsenal’s next fixtures
Arsenal’s upcoming Premier League meeting with Newcastle is an opportunity to assess how Arteta’s forward line functions against a demanding opponent. Newcastle’s physicality and willingness to compete for possession could test Arsenal’s ability to link midfield and attack. Whether Havertz starts centrally, drops into deeper areas or is supported by runners will offer clues about the manager’s preferred solution.
PSG also face Newcastle in the listed fixture schedule, creating a timely point of comparison between two clubs with different attacking identities. The match could underline why Gallas sees PSG as an exception, but one game should not be treated as proof that a strikerless system is either universally effective or impossible to reproduce. Opponent, form, personnel and match state all influence how an attacking plan works.
Football prediction: flexibility may decide Arsenal’s progress
Any football prediction about Arsenal’s Champions League prospects depends on more than the identity of the starting striker. Havertz’s role can help the Gunners create fluid combinations, but Arsenal will need consistent finishing and a reliable way to threaten the box when opponents deny them space. The strongest approach may be to preserve the false nine as one option while remaining ready to introduce a more direct focal point when circumstances demand it.
Gallas’s warning is therefore best understood as a challenge to Arsenal’s tactical adaptability, not simply a call to abandon Havertz. PSG may be able to succeed with a distinctive, strikerless style, but Arsenal must build a version that fits their own players and withstands the demands of Europe’s biggest matches. If Arteta can combine movement and control with enough penalty-area presence, the Gunners’ pursuit of an elusive Champions League crown will remain firmly on track.
