What's Behind Arsenal's Struggling Attack and How Can Arteta Revive It?

Welcome to The Radar, a Sky Sports column where Nick Wright combines data and opinion to shed light on key Premier League stories. This week, the focus is on Arsenal's attacking woes and potential solutions. Despite their first-leg lead against Sporting, Arsenal's performance highlighted the need for improvement in their attack. Mikel Arteta will hope to see a repeat of their defensive solidity against Manchester City on Sunday, but their attacking struggles must be addressed. Arteta's approach has come under scrutiny, with questions about his perceived aversion to risk and over-reliance on set-pieces. The team's personnel is also a factor, with injuries limiting Arteta's options and the need for changes in forward areas becoming clearer. The current front three of Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, and Viktor Gyokeres has not been effective, and their selection leaves Arsenal lacking technical security to retain possession. The trio has contributed 36 goals this season, but their combined presence has resulted in Arsenal only winning two of their last six games. According to Opta, Gyokeres has lost possession 246 times in the Premier League this season, with a high rate of touches ending in possession losses. Martinelli and Madueke also rank high on this list, while Manchester City does not have a single player above the 30% mark. The game changed with Arsenal's substitutions, as players like Havertz, Leandro Trossard, and Gabriel Jesus brought technical quality and control to the team. Arteta may be forced to make changes to his team selection, with Madueke a doubt for Sunday's game and Havertz potentially providing the outlet they lacked. Havertz has endured an injury-hit season but showed his effectiveness as a focal point against Sporting, winning aerial duels and completing passes. His deployment up front on Sunday could help give Arsenal's attack the balance it has lacked, while also giving Gyokeres the chance to make an impact as a substitute. Manchester City's quality means Arsenal will need to fall back on their defense, but raising the technical level of their attack could hold the key to a positive result.