Analysis: Could Arsenal be more prolific in front of goal this season? | OneFootball

Analysis: Could Arsenal be more prolific in front of goal this season?

With the weight of expectation on their shoulders to deliver a long overdue Premier League title, Arsenal have made a positive start to this year’s league campaign. The Gunners are third in the top-flight standings after their opening seven matches of the season, and given that they’re unbeaten still, they’ll fancy their chances of picking up where they left off after the upcoming international break.

Hard-fought draws against the likes of Manchester City have caught the eye for all the right reasons. There’s no doubting that Mikel Arteta’s side have got a real togetherness in their squad this year, which they’ll be hoping can see them go one step further than last season, ahead of Manchester City and Liverpool, who look as though they’re going to make it another tough challenge for the Gunners.

Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz in particular have been star men for Arsenal in attacking areas, and they’ll be hoping to continue to be a threat for the London-based side. They’ve been injury-free so far this season, and any title challenge is likely to be decided by whether Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester City can keep their key players 100% fit.

Arsenal have scored 15 goals so far this season in the Premier League, which is the third-highest behind Manchester City and Chelsea. Even though they’re ranked highly, there’s certainly room for improvement on this front, especially when you consider the Gunners haven’t been shy in testing opposition keepers with plenty of shots.

Saka and Havertz are ranked inside the top-five for most shots in the Premier League, with their 25 shots apiece so far this term putting them tied fourth on the list. Unsurprisingly, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland leads the way, as the Norwegian frontman has had 34 attempts at goal for the current Premier League champions. Haaland’s goal record is ridiculously good, and it begs the question as to whether Havertz and Saka could be more prolific with the shots they’re having in matches.

Havertz has four Premier League goals to his name so far, and Saka has chipped in with two goals to date, so there’s certainly room for improvement with turning their shots into goals. Saka has obviously caught the eye with his assists, as he’s got the most in the top-flight so far with seven. Interestingly, the next Arsenal player to have the most shots is centre-back Gabriel Magalhães, who has 11 so far. It’s been no secret that Arsenal have been targeting the Brazilian defender with the majority of their set-pieces. The tactic has proved successful, with Gabriel netting two goals already this season, against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

Even though Arsenal have shown their attacking qualities, there is always room for improvement. If more of the squad can chip in with goals, MIkel Arteta and the Arsenal supporters won’t mind one bit. It would also relieve the weight of expectation on the likes of Saka and Havertz to score the goals to keep the Gunners in the mix for their first Premier League title since 2003/04. That was the season they went the whole campaign unbeaten, ensuring it will remain long in the memory of their supporters.

There’s still a long way to go to reach those sorts of levels, but with the improvement we’ve already seen from Arsenal under the management of Mikel Arteta, there’s no reason why they can’t go on to win plenty of trophies with the Spaniard in charge.