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Charlie Nicholas says Arsenals strikers are not solely to blame for the clubs disappointing campaign, suggesting a central defender should be Arsene Wengers priority this summer. The Gunners slender title hopes were ended with a goalless draw at Sunderland on Super Sunday and a top-four finish is far from guaranteed with fifth-placed Manchester United five points behind with a game in hand.Wengers side are the lowest scorers in the top four and have found the net the same amount of times at home as second-from-bottom Newcastle, while they also have the joint-worst defensive record in the top four along with Manchester City. Former Arsenal forward Nicholas told Sky Sports: I accept over the last two months that the central striker area has been a massive problem, but theres been a problem from day one and thats at centre-back.Theres the soft excuse that Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud, Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott have all had their injury problems, but for me the biggest issue exists at the back. Arsene Wenger admitted he is worried about missing out finishing in the top four Theres been so many games where theyve been in control then boom, theres a weak defensive decision and then all of the sudden theyre over the place and the panic sets in.Its just not been solid at all and in my opinion Arsenal have not had a proper defence in five or six seasons.While Wenger has come under fire for failing to add another striker last summer, Nicholas thinks Real Madrids 22-year-old defender Raphael Varane could be the ideal candidate to strengthen the backline. In my opinion Arsenal have not had a proper defence in five or six seasons. Charlie Nicholas When Arsene Wenger starts planning for next season, if he is there, which I think he will be, I would rather he addressed the defensive issues than bought a striker, he added.If I had a position to buy right now and a choice between a centre-forward and Raphael Varane, my priority would be Varane. Charlie predicts... Find out what Charlie is tipping up for Man City v Real Madrid here. It needs to be a leader but one of significance on the pitch, not like Per Mertesacker saying the right things in front of the camera 30 minutes before the game. Leadership isnt chit chat, its being willing to sacrifice yourself. Arsenal create chances and I know its a problem not taking them but they tend to take enough to win games. What they dont do is win games 1-0 like Leicester have been doing. Per Mertesacker saw red in Arsenals 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in January The hardest position to fill is the centre-forward but youve got to sort the basics first and I dont think it needs to be a superstar striker because of the chances they create. Giroud has a decent scoring record for the club and hes not a superstar.If they get Gonzalo Higuain in for say £50m and keep conceding two or three goals then they still wont win anything. Also See: Parlour: Wenger likely to stay Szczesny wants Roma stay Arsenal need to be careful Wilshere sets sights on Euros Cheap Reds Jerseys China . Now that hes hitting streaking teammates with pin-point passes for easy layups, Love is asserting himself as one of the true superstars in the league. Cheap Reds Jerseys Authentic . Rob Manfred, baseballs chief operating officer, testified last week during the grievance filed by the players union to overturn Rodriguezs 211-game suspension. 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The best week on the football calendar is finally upon us and, here at ESPN, weve taken a forensic look at the Sydney and Western Bulldogs teams, and their form this season, to bring you the Grand Final Power Rankings.Perhaps surprisingly, its the underdogs from Melbournes west who edge the minor premiers in our rankings.While the Swans hold the advantage over the Dogs in the on-field categories -- boasting a superior backline, deeper and more experienced midfield and more potent forward line -- its the Bulldogs who have the intangibles on their side.The Sons of the West are not only undefeated at the MCG this year, they have also beaten the Swans in both matches from the last two years (both up in Sydney). And, of course, they will have at their backs a surge of support from just about every neutral footy fan in the country.So who wins the day? Does the superior side on paper get it done, or does the wave of momentum and perhaps a slight mental edge work in favour of the Dogs? Weve scored iit 85-84 the Bulldogs way.ddddddddddddLegend:Defence: The higher the number, the better the teams defence.Attack:?The higher the number, the better the teams attack.Midfield:?The higher the number, the better the teams midfield.Ruck:?The higher the number, the better the teams ruck.X-Factor: The number and quality of genuine match-winning players.Recent form:?The higher the number, the better the team has performed in the last three weeks.Vs. each other: The higher the number, the better the team has performed against their opposition from their last three matches.Vs. top 8: The higher the number, the better the team has performed against other top eight sides in season 2016.At the MCG:?The higher the number, the better the team has performed at the MCG this year.Finals experience: The higher the number, the more experienced a team is in a finals matches played. ' ' '