The full-time whistle at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday was met with a chorus of boos from frustrated Arsenal fans, aware that this was a critical opportunity lost to close the gap in the Premier League title race.
Arsenal were held to a disappointing 0-0 draw by Everton, and with the title chase tightening, the Gunners cannot afford many more slip-ups if they are to reclaim the league crown for the first time in over 20 years.
After coming so close to Manchester City in recent seasons, Mikel Arteta's side has set high standards, but they are already playing catch-up to league leaders Liverpool, who drew 2-2 with Fulham at Anfield.
Against Everton, Arsenal dominated possession with 76% and registered 13 shots, yet they couldn't break down a stubborn Toffees defense.
"I’m disappointed not to win," Arteta said. "There’s only one team that deserved to win, and that’s Arsenal. We gave nothing away — no shots conceded, we dominated play, didn’t allow them to counter, and the high press was excellent. We generated chances, but you have to score with all that dominance. I can't ask for more from the boys, apart from putting the ball in the net. We have to put them away."
What do the stats say?
Arsenal are currently third with 30 points from 16 games, having failed to win half of their matches. This marks a drop-off from the previous two seasons, where at this point last year they had 36 points and were in second, and two years ago, they topped the table with 40 points.
While they’ve lost only twice, the six draws so far this season are proving costly.
After drawing with Fulham last Sunday, Arsenal have now gone back-to-back without a win in the league for the first time since April 2023, and Saturday’s goalless draw was their first at home since January 2023, against Newcastle.
Is a lack of a prolific striker becoming a problem?
Arsenal have scored four fewer goals than at this stage last season and 11 fewer than in 2022-23. Their shot conversion rate is 12.8%, roughly in line with their expected conversion rate of 12.3%.
They’ve scored the same number of non-penalty goals (27) as they did last season at this point but have won four fewer penalties. Arsenal have taken 13 fewer shots than they had at the same stage last term.
Their expected goals (xG) stands at 27.7, compared to 29.71 last season and 31.53 in 2022-23.
While they’ve scored 29 goals this season, better teams typically overperform their xG due to better finishing. In contrast, Arsenal overperformed their xG by three goals last season and by 8.5 in 2022-23.
Of the 27 goals scored (excluding penalties), nine have come from set-pieces, making up 33% of their total.
While Arsenal’s finishing has been less clinical this season, a top striker could potentially help improve that, as well as boost their shot creation and offer greater movement and anticipation in the box to get more chances.
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