This stat shared by Twitter user @FrankKhalidUK will prove to be concerning reading for Arsenal fans.
The Gunners were utterly toothless as they were defeated 3-0 by Aston Villa at the Emirates over the weekend. The shocking performance, more than the result, will be keeping Mikel Arteta up at night, no doubt.
@FrankKhalidUK on Twitter may well have made matters worse for the Spaniard, too, that’s if he stumbles upon this stat, which shows that Man United centre-back Harry Maguire has had more shots on goal this term than Arsenal’s front two.
Shots At Goal This Season
?? Alexandre Lacazette: 9
?? Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: 10
??????? Harry Maguire: 11If I was a Arsenal fan I would be very worried about this stat.
— Frank Khalid (@FrankKhalidUK) November 11, 2020
(We have also fact-checked this with data provided on the official Premier League website)
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The BBC reported when Lacazette signed for Arsenal that the Gunners paid £46.5M to get the deal done, while Sky Sports claimed that they forked out £60M on Aubameyang.
It’s not difficult to see where Arsenal are going wrong this season, if their £106.5M attacking duo can’t muster more attempts on goal than a drastically out-of-form centre-back.
Arteta needs to get them into gear, by any means possible. If that means shifting Aubameyang central at Lacazette’s expense, so be it.
But, he needs to find a solution, and fast, else Arsenal’s season will begin to unravel before long.
In a contest for stupid statistics king, this one wins. I w9onder if the same Arsenal fans and pundits demanding Arsenal tighten up and learn to defend are the same ones complaining they can’t score.
Arsenal are in that place where poor executive decision-making has left them struggling for an identity. This kind of team; an under performing club accustomed to being near the top of the table, can fall apart rapidly if the dressing room gets ugly.
It is too soon to project that kind of collapse for Arsenal, but the team, whether these are Mikel Arteta’s decisions or he is being pressured by the front office, has already made the kind of blunders that lead to implosion.
First, the manager is unable to settle on his style of play or his base defense or attack. He’s playing a 3-4-3, a 4-3-3, and some other funky formations along with a more traditional Arsenal 4-2-3-1.
Second, he left Ozil, his most creative player, out of the side entirely. That was clearly a front office decision, but his slavish boot licking of those patent leather shoes won’t save him if they keep losing due to a lack of creativity.
Third, He’s alienating Pepe, the club’s record signing, in favor for Willian, who should have been viewed as an impact sub. Willian is a one-year booster. A player brought in for his experience and ability to influence games, but he’s too old to plan Pepe is costing Arsenal more than Ozil pro-rated over the cost of his contract and purchase-price, and he too is on the bench.
Fourth – the midfield is a mess – Elneny is loyal and he’s not a trouble maker; but he’s a limited ability squad player at best. His presence may be helping Arsenal tighten up at the back (though Villa had no trouble getting through) but the team is paying for that security with a lack of attacking ability through the midfield. Ceballos is no Ozil and Elneny is weaker offensively than Xhaka. There’s a balance to be had somewhere, but Arteta has not found it. Partey’s presence seems a given. He needs a more creative partner.
Even so, the idea that this stupid stat is anything other than a short-term blip, is silly. At the end of the year, so long as they keep playing, Lacazette with have 15-20 goals in all comps and Auba will have 20-30 goals in all comps. Something tells me Harry Maguire won’t.