Arsenal's Lack of Open-Play Creativity: A Potential Title Decider

Welcome to The Debrief, a column where data and opinion intersect to analyze key stories from the Premier League. This week, we examine Arsenal's concerning performance against Bournemouth. The Gunners' inability to create scoring opportunities from open play, with a meager expected goals total of 0.18, raises questions about their title aspirations. While Mikel Arteta's team excels at set-pieces, overreliance on this tactic may hinder their momentum. The numbers reveal that Arsenal spent 26 minutes and 48 seconds with the ball dead, including six minutes preparing for corners and seven minutes waiting for throw-ins. This approach has taken them to the top of the Premier League table, but it often results in disjointed games. In fact, Arsenal have had more matches with an open-play expected goals total of 0.3 or lower than Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea combined. This lack of creativity from open play could be a problem, especially considering the eventual winners of the Premier League have typically ranked among the top two in open-play creativity. Meanwhile, Jarrod Bowen's consistency for West Ham is a notable exception, with eight assists and eight goals in the Premier League this season. His reliability could be crucial in the team's fight to stay up. Additionally, Sunderland's Brian Brobbey has impressed with his ability to hold up the ball, leading the line effectively and providing a threat to opponents.