Will Arsenal's Struggles with Open-Play Creativity Prove Costly in the Title Race?

Welcome to The Debrief, a column by Adam Bate on Sky Sports that combines data analysis and opinion to discuss key stories from the latest Premier League matches. This week, the focus is on Arsenal's disappointing performance against Bournemouth, which has put the title back in the balance. Despite their success with set-pieces, the Gunners' lack of creativity from open play is a concern, with an expected goals total of just 0.18. This over-reliance on set-plays may be damaging their momentum, and it's an issue that has been evident throughout the campaign. In fact, Arsenal have had more matches with an open-play expected goals total of 0.3 or lower than any other top-six team. This could be a problem, especially considering that the eventual winners of the Premier League have typically ranked among the top two for open-play creativity. Meanwhile, West Ham's 4-0 win over Wolves has moved them out of the relegation zone, thanks in part to Jarrod Bowen's two assists. Bowen has been a consistent performer for the Irons, with eight goal involvements in the Premier League this season, and he's on track to join an exclusive club of players who have registered more than 10 goal involvements in each of the past six seasons. Elsewhere, Sunderland's Brian Brobbey has been impressive in his role as a striker, with a high success rate at retaining possession after receiving the ball. His ability to hold up the ball and bring others into play has been a key factor in Sunderland's recent success, and he's competing at a high level after initially struggling with fitness issues.