Arsenal fans told exact moment Mikel Arteta knew he'd made season-defining mistake

Arsenal boss knew that he'd made the mistake of not buying a striker when the Gunners made a 'last-minute' bid to sign in January. That's what Arsenal supporters have been told by former striker in the wake of .

Over both legs of their semi-final clash with Paris Saint-Germain, missed a series of chances to score which . Injuries to first-choice striker and , himself an attacking midfielder by trade, left Arteta without a recognised centre forward for the biggest period of the season.

Midfielder Mikel Merino ended up leading the line and despite scoring in the first leg of their quarter-final against and netting six goals domestically, the Spaniard's efforts weren't enough. After scoring just one of their 20 efforts on goal in Paris, Sutton reckons that Arteta's decision not to sign a striker at the start of this season has come back to haunt him.

The star is also certain that in the final days of the proves that Arteta had realised his mistake. "Arsenal were competitive in both legs," Sutton said on the podcast. "But I thought were the better team and the Gunners deserved to go out.

"Will there be regrets? Well, Arteta has been there for five years now, and I think it's glaringly obvious to look at Arsenal not bringing in a striker last summer.

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"At this level, it's fine margins. They made that last-minute play for Ollie Watkins in the January window, which I think was an admission they had got things wrong. Five seasons now with Arteta: I think there are definitely things he could have done that would have given Arsenal a better chance of winning silverware."

Sutton, though, believes that Arteta has taken the Gunners to the brink of greatness over his five years in charge. "Arsenal's display in the first 25 minutes at the Parc des Princes was phenomenal," he added.

Which striker should Arsenal sign in the summer transfer window? Give us your pick in the .

"They're not a million miles away. I don't the issues are on the pitch. I think they've made mistakes off the field in terms of recruitment.

"What happened this season happened; they've finished trophyless. What happens next is the important thing. Arteta must be thinking along the same lines as me – they weren't proactive enough as they should have been in the market."

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