A Short Analysis of Arteta’s Arsenal. by AI
Here is a list of facts about Arteta’s Arsenal:
-Arsenal started the season without a recognized attacking midfielder in the team.
-Arsenal are one of the best teams in Europe at passing out under pressure.
-Aubameyang has only had 17 shots on target in 20 games.
-Arsenal concede at a rate of 1 goal a game, the second-best record in the Premier League.
-Arsenal have won possession 13 out of 23 games.
-Arsenal have created an xG score of 30 goals so far, which is 12th best in the league.
-Arsenal are 20th, dead last in the league for fouls per games but are 1st for red cards and 8th for yellows.
-7 out of their 10 losses have been by 1-goal margins.
-Arsenal have made only one error leading to a goal this season. In the past 6 seasons, they have made 50 errors combined.
-Only Manchester City has conceded less shots than Arsenal this season.
Arsenal’s problem is clear. They have one of the best defense in the league but also have an average attack. This is a complete flip from the situation under Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery. And the individuals involved have not been that better in quality. As a unit, the defense is just really strong. Arteta must be praised for this.
However, ever since Smith-Rowe came into the side and Arteta moved to a back 4, Arsenal’s attack has rapidly improved. They are still not very much the best attack in the league but quite decent. Despite that, they have been very much hampered by a combination of poor discipline and poor officiating. Also, their best forward is having a poor season.
All in all, Arsenal are a possession-based side capable of playing on the counterattack. They have one of the best defense in the league, making few errors and committing few fouls, implying that they are very sound structurally. Despite that, their discipline has been poor in crucial moments and key refereeing decisions have gone against them, leading to more than a few marginal losses. Their forwards, especially the world-class one, are out of form and have struggled to turn possession into quality chances while also failing to efficiently convert those chances.
Verdict: Given that they have a young coach in his first full season and key forwards out of form, Arsenal are very likely to improve as a team. With the possession-based pattern, counterattacking foundation and high structural soundness, they have the raw potential of a very good team. Better discipline, improved forwards and more luck should see them strongly contend for European places next season.
In a medium-term future, with a young core of fantastic players like Leno, Gabriel, Tierney, Partey, Smith-Rowe, Saka, Martinelli, with a defensively sound coach still working on improving the attack, Arsenal should return to European elite status within the next three seasons.
Agboola Israel