Arsenal's attacking problems intensify as market mistakes come back to haunt Arteta
The winter break came at an ideal time for Arsenal who extended their disappointing run to just one win in seven matches nearly two weeks ago when they fell to a 2-0 defeat at home to Liverpool in the FA Cup third round.
That loss to Jurgen Klopp’s men was the third in succession for the Gunners, contributing to them forfeiting top spot in the Premier League table and exiting the FA Cup in the third round for just the third time from their last 28 campaigns.
Remarkably within that losing run, which also included Premier League games against Fulham and West Ham, Mikel Arteta’s men generated 61 shots plus an Expected Goal (xG) total of just over six and 11 big chances. Yet despite those impressive underlying attacking numbers, they managed to covert just one of those 61 combined efforts.
Not for the first time this season, the North London side were left lamenting their poor finishing, and these recent attacking woes do put greater focus on the club’s recruitment in the attacking areas of the pitch across the past few windows.
The club worked tirelessly to sign Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City in the summer of 2022, parting with a reported £50million to get the deal over the line.
He’s been tasked with being the team’s main focal point in attack with Arteta - who worked closely with him as a coach at City - a known huge admirer of the Brazil international’s tireless work rate and ability to link play so adeptly in the final third.
And it’s those attacking qualities that have been crucial in making allowances for Jesus’ constant under-performance in front of goal during his time in England.
So far this season, he’s netted just three league goals from an xG of 4.8, while across his 7.5 campaigns in the Premier League with both City and Arsenal, Jesus has accumulated an xG of 87.74 (Opta). However, he’s scored just 72 goals.
Around Jesus, Arteta predominantly relies on Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz to compensate for this lack of clinical edge from his chief striker. Arteta also has Eddie Nketiah within his ranks, yet, the 24-year-old has made just 10 league starts this season, just one of which came in Arsenal’s last nine Premier League matches, highlighting the forward’s lowly position in his manager’s attacking pecking order.
Last season, despite largely being considered creators rather than goal-getters, each of Saka (14), Odegaard (15) and Martinelli (15) ran extremely hot, each netting 14+ Premier League goals.
However, they are running much colder in this campaign, with Saka’s total of six league goals the best return from the trio, while summer recruit Havertz has failed to help alleviate any of the collective’s goalscoring burden.
He arrived from Chelsea in a substantial £65m deal in the summer - making him the club’s second-most expensive ever signing. Similar to Jesus, Havertz boasts a ton of traits that make him hugely desirable to Arteta.
He’s a fluid talent who, on paper, is able to play anywhere across the front three plus as a 10 or eight. Yet, he’s also another with a long-term record of failing to score goals at an above-average rate; in his 3.5 seasons in England, he’s scored 23 goals from an xG of 29.9.
What this leads to is scrutiny of Arsenal’s decision to part with large sums sign two attackers with records of prolonged below-par finishing - especially as both are two of Arteta’s preferred three number nine profiles.
While both bring a lot of the team’s build-up play, as a consequence of this decision, Arsenal are relying on their two wide forwards and their chief creator to bridge that goalscoring gap.
The quality of that trio made that possible last season, but with each not able to replicate the same heights, the Club’s goalscoring form is taking a hit and there are already six sides able to boast more league goals than Arsenal’s return of 37 so far.
Gunners’ fans might hope that a deal for a shiny new striker could remedy the situation in this winter window. Yet, there are very few available, and Arteta himself played down those hopes in his post-match press conference after the loss to Liverpool.
“At the moment it does not look realistic (making a new singing),” he stated.
“What my job is, and what we have to do is improve our players and try to get better results with the players we have.”
On current form, that looks easier said than done and he, plus the club’s hierarchy, may be left ruing their decision not to prioritise recruiting a clinical striker come the end of the season.