Crisis at Arsenal: Looking at the numbers

The million dollar question of the 2019-20 Premier League campaign is what on earth is going on with Arsenal?

Arsenal are writing one of the most shocking narratives of the 2019-20 Premier League campaign. With 25 games in the books, no one expected Arsenal to be 42 points behind Liverpool and only seven points clear of the relegation zone.

For the most part, the team consists of the same players that led the Gunners to a top five finish last season, so what is going on in North London? Passionate Arsenal fans could probably come up with a long list of reasons that explain all the issues the Gunners are facing, but this article will simply focus on the numbers.

Any help for Aubameyang?

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the only player on the team who is pulling his own weight. With 14 goals and one assist to his name this season, Aubameyang has been directly involved in 48% of the team’s goals. Arsenal scored an impressive 73 goals last season, but this term they have only scored 32 times.

Alexandre Lacazette missed some games early in the season with a severe ankle injury. The French international has made 18 appearances this season, but his tally of five goals and two assists is not cutting it. When combining the numbers between Aubameyang and Lacazette, 19 goals and three assists, it goes to show that two players are responsible for just under 70% of the team’s goals. For a team that boasts some big name players in midfield, that is unacceptable. Being dependent on two players to carry a team for 38 games is the best recipe for a mid-table finish in the Premier League.

Fewer wins than Burnley, Newcastle and Palace…?

This next statistic will come as a major surprise for neutral fans of the Premier League, but Arsenal have claimed the third-fewest number of victories this season. The Gunners have only won six games, which means they have three fewer wins than Burnley, two fewer wins than Newcastle United and one less victory than Crystal Palace. West Ham, who are currently in the relegation zone, have the same number of wins as Arsenal and that is shocking.

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Arsenal’s primary issue is their inability to go the extra mile late in games, especially against inferior opposition. The Gunners lead the league with 13 draws this season. This statistic shows that Arsenal have been competitive in most games, but it also shows just how many points they have dropped. Mikel Arteta‘s side has drawn four consecutive games, two of which were against Crystal Palace and Burnley. Those type of results will keep Arsenal where they are and leads me directly to my next point below.

Lack of offensive creativity

The reason why Arsenal are drawing so many games is because they lack creativity when they attack. Unlike some their low rankings in other categories, Arsenal are the seventh-best team in the top flight when it comes to spreading the ball around with 12,437 passes, but they are the seventh-worst team in the league when it comes to creating chances. Over the course of 25 games, Arsenal have only taken 279 shots, which is 15 fewer than 19th-placed Watford.

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What does this tell us about Arsenal? Well, maintaining possession of the ball is not a problem for them, but their indecisiveness in the final third of the pitch leads to meaningless possession and poor shot selection. Arsenal have several issues to work out, but a primary task for Arteta is to find a way to best position his players when they are 20 yards away from goal to free up some space in order to create better scoring opportunities.

Arsenal fans, what are your thoughts regarding these numbers? Is there any hope for Arsenal with 13 games remaining in the season? Let us know in the comments section below!

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