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

Welcome to The Debrief, a Sky Sports column where Adam Bate combines data and opinion to reflect on key Premier League stories. This week, Arsenal's struggles in open play are under scrutiny after a dismal performance against Bournemouth, which has put the title back in the balance. Despite their mastery of set-pieces, the Gunners' inability to create from open play is a concern, with an expected goals total of just 0.18 in their latest match. This over-reliance on set-plays has been a theme of their campaign, but it can also hinder their momentum. With 26 minutes spent with the ball dead, including seven minutes waiting for throw-ins, Arsenal's game was disjointed. The team's formula has taken them to the top of the Premier League table, but their failure to create from open play is unusual for a leading team. In fact, they 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 might explain why fluency is a problem for Arsenal, and it could be a decisive factor in their title bid. Meanwhile, Jarrod Bowen has been a consistent performer for West Ham, with eight assists and eight goals in the Premier League this season. His output has been impressive since joining the club in 2020, and he ranks among the top half-dozen players in the Premier League for goal involvements. If Bowen can finish the season strongly, he could join an exclusive club of players with 20 goal involvements in each of the last three Premier League seasons. Elsewhere, Sunderland's Brian Brobbey has been impressive in holding the ball up, with a success rate that surpasses other top players in the Premier League. His ability to retain possession has been a valuable asset for his team, and his six Premier League goals have all been the final goal of the game, directly winning Sunderland eight points.