Welcome to The Radar, Sky Sports' data‑driven opinion column that cuts through the Premier League noise. This week we examine Arsenal's attacking woes and explore possible solutions for Mikel Artéma ahead of the crucial clash with Manchester City. Arsenal entered the Champions League quarter‑final second leg with a comfortable first‑leg advantage over Sporting CP. The Gunners leaned on their defensive resilience on Wednesday, weathering Sporting's pressure and securing a place in the last four.
While the backline performed admirably, the attacking unit once again proved unreliable, raising fresh concerns about the team's overall balance. Artéma will be hoping that the same defensive discipline can be replicated against City on Sunday, but a one‑sided defensive display will not be enough. Against a side of City’s calibre, a lack of clear offensive options could leave Arsenal vulnerable to a heavy defeat, even though they currently enjoy a six‑point cushion at the top of the table.
The manager's tactical approach has attracted intense scrutiny. Critics argue that his aversion to risk has stripped Arsenal of fluidity and flair, favouring set‑piece routines over open‑play creativity. There is also a growing perception that the team leans too heavily on its defensive structure, neglecting the need to generate genuine scoring chances. Injury problems compound the issue.
Bukayo Saka is ruled out for Sunday, and Martin Ødegaard remains doubtful. The forward line, however, appears even more problematic after the Sporting tie.
For the second consecutive match Artéma started a front three of Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Viktor Gyökerés. The trio has struggled to produce a coherent attacking rhythm; they have only won two of the six games they have started together, and one of those victories – the Carabao Cup semi‑final second leg against Chelsea – required a late substitute goal from Kai Havertz.
Individually, the three possess pace and an eye for goal, contributing 36 goals between them this season. Yet when deployed simultaneously they lack the technical composure needed to retain possession high up the pitch. Declan Rice summed up the problem after the Sporting game: "It's about doing the basics to a better level, just the five, ten‑yard passes that we're giving away a bit sloppily." His midfield partner Martin Zubimendi added that Arsenal "have lacked a little bit of clarity in the final third." Ball retention statistics underline the point.
Gyökerés has lost possession 246 times in the Premier League this season, with a loss‑rate of 43.5% – the second‑worst among outfield players. Martinelli and Madueke are not far behind, with loss rates of 38.9% and 36.1% respectively.
By contrast, every Manchester City outfield player stays under the 30% threshold. In the Sporting match Gyökerés completed just five of nine passes, while Martinelli and Madueke each surrendered the ball 12 and 17 times. The game only shifted when Artéma introduced substitutes. Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard, Max Dowman and Gabriel Jesus combined for an 89% pass‑completion rate, allowing Arsenal to dominate possession in the final minutes and press the Sporting defence.
If Arsenal hopes to avoid a repeat of the second‑half onslaught they suffered in last month’s Carabao Cup final against City, they will need a similar level of technical proficiency at the Etihad. Pep Guardiola’s system often forces opponents into long balls and isolates their forwards; Arsenal’s current front line struggled to hold the ball under that pressure. Artéma may be forced to rethink his personnel choices.
Madueke is doubtful after a knee knock, and the question of whether to start Dowman or keep Gyökerés on the bench looms large. Havertz, despite an injury‑plagued season, could provide the missing outlet.
In the first leg against Sporting, Havertz won more aerial duels than any other player on the pitch (three) and completed 15 passes – three times more than Gyökerés. Over his Premier League career, Havertz has consistently outperformed Gyökerés in both duels and ball retention, making him the superior target man. Havertz’s pedigree is well‑known: he scored the decisive goal in Chelsea’s Champions League triumph over City and was instrumental in Arsenal’s 5‑1 victory at the Emirates in February. He set up Ødegaard’s opener and added a goal himself, completing 26 of 28 passes.
Deploying him as a central striker on Sunday could bring balance to the attack and free Gyökerés to exploit tired legs as an impact sub. Beyond individual talent, Arsenal must raise the collective technical level of their forward play. Even if they revert to a defensive posture against City’s relentless press, a more assured ball‑retention game will reduce the likelihood of conceding quick goals and may create the space needed for counter‑attacks.
Another storyline this week involves the captaincy. Declan Rice has worn the armband in the last two matches, while former captain Granit Xhaka, now at Aston Villa, prepares to face the manager who stripped him of the role in 2019. Xhaka’s return from an ankle injury has revitalised Villa, with the team earning 1.5 points per game when he starts compared with just one point without him. In other Premier League news, Sunderland, boosted by Xhaka’s influence, host Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.
Meanwhile, Chelsea loanee Tyrique George impressed for Everton against Brentford and could be a useful option for Liverpool’s counter‑attack in the upcoming Merseyside derby. Looking ahead, Sky Sports will broadcast a packed Super Sunday featuring Aston Villa vs Sunderland, Everton vs Liverpool and Nottingham Forest vs Burnley, before the headline clash of Manchester City versus Arsenal at 4.30pm. Follow Sky Sports on WhatsApp for real‑time updates, analysis and exclusive video content.
In summary, Arsenal’s defensive solidity remains a strength, but their attacking unit is still searching for a clear identity. Whether Artéma opts for a more experienced target man like Havertz, reshuffles the front three, or simply demands higher technical standards from his current forwards, the answer to the misfiring attack will be pivotal in determining if the Gunners can maintain their lead at the summit of the Premier League.