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Wenger expecting strikers to fire

Cape Town - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits his side was let down by their finishing last season, but is confident that won't be the case this term.

The Gunners will feel that last season was something of a missed opportunity after finishing second in the league behind surprise champions Leicester City.

With all of their usual title rivals out of the picture, many expected Arsenal to take the title, but a spate of injuries and inconsistency of their strikers meant they only just managed to pip north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur for second place.

The only forward reinforcements Wenger has made in the off-season is the signing of relatively unknown 21-year-old Japan international Takuma Asano, but the manager believes the players he has at his disposal are capable of getting goals.

When asked about their troubles in front of goal last season, Wenger replied: "Yes. That's one of the domains where last year we were not the most efficient.

"We were the highest team in expected chances created. We were the highest team in quality of chances created in the final third.

"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.

"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."

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