Welcome to The Radar, Sky Sports' data‑driven opinion column where Nick Wright breaks down the Premier League stories that matter. This week’s focus is Arsenal’s faltering attack and the tactical options Mikel Arteta has at his disposal ahead of the crucial showdown with Manchester City.
Arsenal entered the Champions League quarter‑final second leg with a first‑leg cushion against Sporting CP, allowing them to retreat behind a disciplined back line on Wednesday. The Gunners showed a glimpse of the defensive resilience that helped them reach the last four, but the match also highlighted a lingering problem up front: the forward line simply isn’t delivering the quality or consistency required against elite opposition.
Arteta will be hoping that the same defensive rigidity can be replicated against City on Sunday, but the reality is that a team that leans heavily on its back four will struggle to produce a positive result if the attacking unit cannot create clear-cut chances. While the Gunners sit six points clear at the top of the table, the onus is on City to win; nevertheless, a lack of offensive firepower could see Arsenal’s lead evaporate. The criticism of Arteta’s approach has intensified. Observers question whether his apparent aversion to risk has sacrificed fluidity and creativity.
Has the emphasis on set‑piece efficiency come at the expense of open‑play chance creation? Are the Gunners too quick to fall back on their defence rather than probing for goals? Injuries have compounded the issue.
Bukayo Saka is confirmed out for Sunday’s fixture, and Martin Ødegaard remains doubtful. The forward‑line dilemma became starkly apparent against Sporting, where Arteta persisted with a front three of Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Viktor Gyökeres.
The trio, despite their individual talent, have struggled to produce cohesive, high‑tempo football when deployed together. Statistically, the three‑man unit has only won two of the last six games they have started as a unit.
One of those victories – the Carabao Cup semi‑final second leg win over Chelsea – relied on a late substitute goal from Kai Havertz, underscoring the lack of firepower from the starting trio. Collectively, Madueke, Martinelli and Gyökeres have contributed 36 goals this season, but when they line up together they often lack the technical composure to retain possession in the final third.
"It’s about doing the basics at a higher level – those five‑yard, ten‑yard passes we’ve been giving away too sloppily," Declan Rice observed after the Sporting match. His midfield partner, Martin Zubimendi, added that the team has suffered from a "lack of clarity in the final third." The numbers back up those comments. Opta data shows Gyökeres has lost possession 246 times in the Premier League this season, with a loss‑rate of 43.5% of his touches – the second‑worst among outfield players.
Martinelli and Madueke are not far behind, with loss‑rates of 38.9% and 36.1% respectively, while Manchester City boast no player above the 30% threshold. Gyökeres’ passing accuracy was equally concerning – only five of his nine attempts found a teammate against Sporting. Martinelli and Madueke also struggled, mis‑controlling the ball 12 and 17 times respectively in the same game. By contrast, the substitutes who entered later – Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard, Max Downey and Gabriel Jesus – completed 89% of their passes, allowing Arsenal to dominate possession in the latter stages and press higher up the pitch.
If Arsenal hope to avoid a repeat of the second‑half onslaught they endured in last month’s Carabao Cup final against City, they will need that same technical proficiency at the Etihad. Pep Guardiola’s side excelled by using a front four that sat just off Arsenal’s goalkeeper and centre‑backs, cutting off passing lanes and forcing long balls to Gyökeres, who struggled to hold onto them.
Arteta may be forced to rethink his selection ahead of Sunday. Madueke is a doubt after a knee knock against Sporting, and the Gunners could look to re‑introduce Havertz as a more reliable outlet. Havertz, despite an injury‑plagued season, has shown he can be an effective target man.
In the first leg of the Sporting tie, he scored the decisive goal, won three aerial duels – more than any other player on the pitch – and completed 15 passes, three times as many as Gyökeres. Historically, Havertz has proven his worth against City. He scored the Champions League final winner for Chelsea against them and was instrumental in Arsenal’s 5‑1 demolition of the Citizens at the Emirates in February 2023, providing an assist for Ødegaard’s opener and scoring the fourth goal himself.
In that match he completed 26 of 28 passes and again topped the aerial duel count. Deploying Havertz up front on Sunday, even if only for a few minutes, could give Arsenal the balance they have missed. His ability to hold up play, link midfield to attack and win aerial battles would free up space for Gyökeres to exploit tired legs later in the game as an impact sub. Beyond personnel, Arsenal’s captaincy has been a talking point.
Declan Rice has worn the armband in the last two games, while former captain Granit Xhaka is set to face Arteta’s side with Aston Villa after a successful spell at Sunderland, where his return from injury boosted the club’s points‑per‑game average from 1.0 to 1.5. Xhaka’s ball‑playing prowess, evident in his high touch count and passing volume, underscores the type of midfield leadership Arsenal could benefit from when they struggle to create in open play.
In summary, Arsenal’s defensive solidity remains their strongest attribute, but to secure a win against a side of Manchester City’s caliber they must raise the technical level of their attack. This means either finding a more reliable front three, rotating in a proven target man like Havertz, or adjusting the system to allow midfielders to contribute more directly to goal‑scoring opportunities. The upcoming match will be a decisive test of whether Arteta can blend defensive resilience with the attacking fluency required to stay ahead in the title race.