Welcome to The Radar, a Sky Sports column where Nick Wright combines data and opinion to shed light on key stories from the Premier League. This week, we're focusing on Arsenal's issues in attack and how Mikel Arteta can address them. Despite having a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League, Arsenal's performance against Sporting highlighted the need for improvement in their attack. Arteta's approach has been scrutinized, with some questioning his perceived aversion to risk and whether it has come at the cost of fluency and flair on the ball.
Injuries have also limited Arteta's options, with Bukayo Saka ruled out of Sunday's game and Martin Odegaard among those doubtful. The need for changes in forward areas became clearer against Sporting, where the front three of Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, and Viktor Gyokeres did not work effectively.
Arsenal have only won two of the last six games this trio has started together. The selection of these three players leaves Arsenal lacking the technical security to retain possession high up the pitch. According to Opta, Gyokeres has lost possession 246 times in the Premier League this season, with a touches-ending-in-possession-losses rate of 43.5%. Martinelli and Madueke also rank high on this list.
Manchester City, by contrast, do not have a single player over the 30% mark. The game changed with Arsenal's substitutions, as players like Havertz, Leandro Trossard, and Gabriel Jesus completed 89% of their passes, allowing Arsenal to play in Sporting's half during the closing stages. Arteta's hand may now be forced on his team selection, with Madueke a doubt for Sunday's game and Dowman potentially coming in. Havertz can give Arsenal the outlet they lacked, having endured an injury-hit season but showing effectiveness as a focal point against Sporting.
He won more aerial duels and completed more passes than Gyokeres. Factoring in the last two seasons, Havertz's superiority to Gyokeres in duels and ball retention shines through in the numbers.
His deployment up front on Sunday could help give Arsenal's attack the balance it has often lacked. Meanwhile, Granit Xhaka is preparing to face Unai Emery, the manager who stripped him of the armband in 2019.
Xhaka's return from an ankle injury has been a significant factor in Sunderland's upturn in form, with their points per game average jumping from one to 1.5 when he starts.