So far this season, Arsenal is not scoring early enough in games, and this needs to change.
Last year Arsenal scored 14 goals in the opening 15 minutes of Premier League matches, this year it has been 0.
In the opening 30 minutes last year, it was 29 goals scored, this year just 4.
— Scott Willis (@scottjwillis) October 25, 2023
Arsenal have had a great start to the season; they are unbeaten in the league and are predicted to win their Champions League group (as of match day 3).
Nobody can deny that the Gunners this season have mastered the art of getting results rather than scoring hatfuls, and this is preved by having the lowest ‘Goals For’of all the Top 7 teams, but don’t you think they need to win emphatically rather than just avoid defeat?
Their defensive performance has improved since the addition of Declan Rice, but their attack hasn’t improved; they have struggled offensively.
They are failing to score as many goals as many Gooners expect them to. In a review of Arsenal’s attacking, stats expert Scott Willis hints at why the Gunners aren’t scoring as many goals as they should. His discovery contends that because Arsenal does not score enough early goals, they are unable to dominate opponents. He insinuates that the Gunners can disorient their opponents, rip them open, and finish them off with early goals. However, by failing to score early, they allow opponents to sit back and gain confidence, forcing draws like the Spurs and Fulham games or winning by a tight margin.
Someone could argue that his stats are for the entire season and not just the first nine games (a quarter of the season), but they still tell us something. Mikel Arteta should “tell” his players to go for goals as early as the first minute. The ability to lay down markers at the start of games can provide them with a mental advantage over their opponents. It can cause them to “open up” teams, increasing their chances of scoring more goals in a game.
It’s like Arteta’s idea last season was to overpower teams as quickly as possible, but this season he has decided to slow it down and be extra careful in the build up. Maybe to conserve energy for the long season ahead?
What do you think Gooners?
Jack Anderson This was written before our game against Sheffield
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