Welcome to The Radar, a Sky Sports column that combines data and opinion to shed light on key Premier League stories. This week, we're focusing on Arsenal's issues in attack, a reunion between Xhaka and Emery, and a player to watch over the weekend. Arsenal's recent Champions League quarter-final second leg against Sporting saw them rely on their defense, which has shown vulnerability in recent games, to secure a spot in the last four.
However, their performance also highlighted the need for improvement in their attack, which continues to underperform. Mikel Arteta will hope to see his team's defensive solidity continue against Manchester City on Sunday, but he must also find a way to address the attacking woes. With a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League, the pressure is on City to win, but Arsenal's chances of a positive outcome are slim if they can't find offensive solutions. Arteta's approach has come under scrutiny, with some questioning whether his perceived aversion to risk has come at the cost of fluency and flair on the ball.
The team's reliance on set-pieces and defense has raised concerns about the lack of open-play chance creation. Injuries have limited Arteta's options, with Bukayo Saka ruled out of Sunday's game and Martin Odegaard among those doubtful. However, the need for changes in forward areas became clear against Sporting, where Arteta fielded a front three of Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, and Viktor Gyokeres, a combination that has not worked and lacks the technical security to retain possession high up the pitch. The trio has only won two of the last six games they've started together, and their selection leaves Arsenal struggling to retain the ball.
According to Opta, Gyokeres has lost possession 246 times in the Premier League this season, with a rate of 43.5 percent, the second-highest among outfield players. Martinelli and Madueke also rank high on the list, at 38.9 percent and 36.1 percent respectively.
In contrast, Manchester City does not have a single player over the 30 percent mark. The introduction of substitutes like Havertz, Leandro Trossard, Max Dowman, and Gabriel Jesus changed the game, allowing Arsenal to play in Sporting's half during the closing stages.
Arteta may be forced to make changes to his team selection, with Madueke a doubt for Sunday's game due to a knee injury. Havertz, who has endured an injury-hit season, could provide the outlet Arsenal lacks, having scored the goal that settled the tie in the first leg and won more aerial duels than any other player on the pitch. His deployment up front on Sunday could help give Arsenal's attack the balance it has often lacked.
Manchester City's quality means Arsenal will inevitably need to fall back on their defense, but raising the technical level of their attack could hold the key to emerging with a positive result. Other notable stories include Granit Xhaka's return from an ankle injury, which has been a significant factor in Sunderland's upturn in form, and Tyrique George's potential to exploit Liverpool's vulnerability to counter-attacks. A busy weekend of Premier League action includes Spurs vs Brighton, Aston Villa vs Sunderland, Everton vs Liverpool, and Manchester City vs Arsenal.