As Arsenal stand five points clear of Manchester City in the Premier League, a lot of attention is rightly being given to the team’s attack. It is one of the key factors that has propelled them to this position and there are a few reasons behind that. A lot of this was apparent in the win over Everton. The players were able to find solutions against a team that looked to be organised and resolute.
So, what is it that makes the Gunners so good in front of goal. They might not have scored the most goals this season, but they are right up there. While City have someone like Haaland who has scored 27 on his own, the goals are a little more spread out at the Emirates.
Coaching
This is one aspect of the attack that often gets lost in conversation as people tend to forget the impact that Mikel Arteta has had. The biggest impact of the manager can be seen in the improvement from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. Saka himself has played in a few different positions since the arrival of the Spaniard.
Most of what the coaching staff have been able to do is intangible as we do not see the day to day happening. But if you look at the results, the effect is clear to see. The team is scoring more goals, conceding fewer and getting more points as well. The overall quality of the individuals has also gone up. Yes, the team does make few mistakes here and there, but the quality has been high on the whole.
Versatile Forwards
This can be said of almost all the attackers that the north Londoners have. They are all able to play in different positions and that gives the manager more options to choose from. You can see this in the way Leandro Trossard has been used. The Belgian can play on the wings, and can used as a centre forward as well. With his movement and intelligence, the former Beighton and Hove Albion man is able to cause a lot of problems.
Or take the case of Gabriel Martinelli, who was able to score both his goals from a central position. He starts out playing on the left wing but with his ability to drift inside, it can create chaos for the defence. Gabriel Jesus can also play across the attack and that makes him an even bigger threat.
Another benefit of having multidimensional players is that the opposition does not really know what to plan. If they think Martinelli will be pinned to the left, he suddenly pops up on the right. Keeping the other team guessing is a great way to establish a foothold in the game.
Rotation Of Players
This is a side effect of having players that are versatile and you can look at the Everton game to see this in action. When the Gunners scored the first goal, you can see that Trossard is free on the left wing and Martinelli is on the right making a run behind the defence. While all of this is going on, Bukayo Saka has moved into a central position between the centre back and left back.
This is exactly the kind of movement that can confuse a defender and help create chances. Once Saka makes that run inside, the full back would normally follow him but since there’s another attacker making a run on the right, he is caught in two minds. This allows Alex Zinchenko to slip in Saka who scores with a superb finish.
As the game went on, these rotations became more and more common, and the Toffees just did not know what to do about it. Trossard got an assist from the left wing, Eddie Nketiah made a run down the left channel to assist Martinelli’s second. In a way, this game showed how much Arsenal have learnt from their defeat at Goodison Park. In that match, the north Londoners were far too placid and didn’t react fast enough to make any changes.
But Arteta has shown that he can learn from his mistakes and give the team a chance to win. Instead of going with a regular forward in Eddie Nketiah, a rotation option such as Trossard proved to be much more effective.
Sharing Of Goals
It is a question that would get fans thinking about what’s better? A player that scores so many goals or a group of players that can share the goal scoring burden. The Gunners find themselves in the latter category as they have a number of players who can find the back of the net. The biggest advantage of this is that it takes some pressure away from the more influential players.
It also shows that the attack is able to adjust itself to different demands that each opposition team will throw at them. And it is also a testament to the great job that Arteta has done. He has a system where even new players could come in and not look out of place. There is no talk about one player having a goal drought because eventually they will find a way to score.
That is the beauty of this Arsenal team, and it is a major reason why fans tend to back the players even when the team is trailing. The Emirates has become an arena where the opposition know that they can’t get the home support to calm down. The demand for Arsenal tickets has become so high that many of them are not able to get to the stadium. You do not have to be part of that part of that crowd as you can get your own ticket sitting comfortably at home.
Conclusion
Since the free-flowing days when Arsene Wenger had this team at the peak of its powers, scoring a lot of goals has been a problem. Either there has been too much reliance on one player or key individuals have disappeared at crucial moments. But things are changing for the better and it shows the evolution of this team.
You have a situation where at least four players could end up with 10 or more Premier League goals and that is a great place to be in. Sometimes when challenged by a team, you need to look for different answers. This ability is refreshing to see, and it is a key factor behind the unlikely title challenge that the north Londoners are involved in.
Arsenal have a few more tough games to overcome before they can put their hands on the trophy. But the very fact that they have been able to find solutions to unique problems shows just how good a team this bunch is. When Gabriel Jesus got injured, many people thought that the dream was over. But they have persevered and others have stepped up to show that this squad is made up of talented individuals who work towards a common goal. There are a lot more twists and turns that will come up in the upcoming months. Fans can look forward to it in the knowledge that their team can take on whatever comes their way.
