Could Arsenal's Limited Open-Play Creativity Prove Costly in Title Chase?

Welcome to The Debrief, a Sky Sports column where Adam Bate analyzes key Premier League stories using data and opinion. This week, he examines Arsenal's concerning performance against Bournemouth, which saw them struggle to create chances from open play, relying heavily on set-pieces. The Gunners' expected goals total from open play was a mere 0.18, highlighting their lack of creativity. While their focus on set-plays has been a successful tactic this season, it may ultimately hinder their momentum. 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 a disjointed game. 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 is unusual for a Premier League leader, as the eventual winners typically rank among the top two for open-play creativity. Arsenal's reliance on set-pieces may explain their struggles with fluency, and they will need to improve if they are to keep pace with City. Meanwhile, Jarrod Bowen played a crucial role in West Ham's 4-0 win over Wolves, providing two assists and moving the team out of the relegation zone. Bowen has been consistent in his output, ranking among the top half-dozen players in the Premier League for goal involvements since joining West Ham in 2020. He is on track to join an exclusive club, with only Erling Haaland having achieved 20 goal involvements in each of the last three Premier League seasons. West Ham's chances of staying up were further boosted by Tottenham's 1-0 defeat to Sunderland, which saw Brian Brobbey impress with his hold-up play. Brobbey has held the ball up 48 times this season, with a higher success rate than anyone else near the top of the list. His ability to retain possession and isolate defenders is a problem for opposing teams, and he has directly won Sunderland eight points with his six Premier League goals.