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 explore key stories from the Premier League. This week, the focus is on Arsenal's attack, which has been underperforming despite their lead in the league. Their recent game against Sporting showcased both the team's defensive solidity and the struggles in their attack. Mikel Arteta will need to find a solution to this issue, especially with the upcoming match against Manchester City. The question is whether Arteta needs to make changes to his approach, which has been criticized for being too cautious and reliant on set pieces. Injuries to key players like Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard have limited Arteta's options, but the current front three of Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, and Viktor Gyokeres has not been effective. The trio's inability to retain possession and create scoring chances has been a significant issue. According to Opta, Gyokeres has the second-highest rate of losing possession among outfield players in the Premier League. Martinelli and Madueke also rank high on this list. In contrast, Manchester City does not have a single player with a possession loss rate over 30%. The introduction of substitutions like Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard, and Gabriel Jesus improved Arsenal's control and technical quality on the pitch. Havertz, in particular, could provide the outlet Arsenal lacks, given his ability to win aerial duels and retain possession. His deployment up front could help balance Arsenal's attack. Meanwhile, Granit Xhaka is preparing to face his former manager, Unai Emery, with Sunderland taking on Aston Villa. Xhaka's return from injury has been crucial to Sunderland's recent form, and he will look to strengthen his case for signing of the season. Other key matches include Spurs vs. Brighton, Everton vs. Liverpool, and Manchester City vs. Arsenal. The Premier League action will be available to watch across Sky Sports, with coverage starting from 5 pm on Saturday and 2 pm on Sunday.