Following Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool, their third in a row in all competitions, the idea emerged that Mikel Arteta’s side’s main problem was the lack of an experienced goalscorer. This may be true. Maybe Arteta doesn’t have players like Erling Haaland or Mohamed Salah whose main goal is to score as much as possible. But does he really need them? The logical answer is that probably not. Over the last four matches, Arsenal have created enough opportunities for five goals without penalties. However, they were only able to score two goals. Many bettors who bet on the Gunners lost. By the way, by Mostbet App download for Android you can place bets with a licensed bookmaker from Bangladesh on matches of the English Premier League and other tournaments. The company offers an excellent line, wide range of paintings and a generous welcome bonus.
Why aren’t Arsenal getting results in recent games?
Yes, Arsenal fans are very upset, but Mikel Arteta’s team were simply the victim of temporary statistical anomalies. Sometimes bad luck, unfortunate moments and an outstanding goalkeeper of the opponent can combine, against the background of which the team with the advantage cannot score at least 1 goal even with 30-40 shots on goal. Simply researching the transfer market does not guarantee a solution to this problem. The analysis showed that creating chances matters more to future success than a player’s or team’s ability to finish shots. In other words, the impact of a player’s finishing ability is very limited compared to more critical factors such as location or angle of the shot. The personality of the goalscorer is almost irrelevant, creating chances is more important for sustainable success. “We’re not getting results,” Arteta said after the defeat to Liverpool. “Not just today, but in the last few games. We deserve to win, but the results are different.” Arsenal are in crisis but, when looked at further, their recent failures in front of goal are a rare occurrence in the last 18 months, which have seen Arteta’s side significantly exceed their expected goal tally.
The Arsenal coach called on fans to support the team during a difficult period, and it was a smart move. Not because it keeps the club loyal, but because Arsenal are basically doing the right things that are expected of an elite team. Aside from the key goal-scoring aspect, there are positive factors that seem to be becoming more consistent sources of goals in the future. One of these factors is Arsenal’s approach to losing possession. This became the key feature of their season. The team effectively prevents the threat of opposition strikers, but their real attacking weapon has been their ability to create outstanding chances through well-organized high pressing.
Is a good striker really that important to this team?
Arsenal showed aggressive defensive play without the ball against Liverpool, pressing hard. This was especially noticeable in the first half, when the team successfully suppressed the opponent’s attacks. It is important to note that although Arsenal created promising chances, their performance in decisive moments left much to be desired. This showed that even when creating overloads and enriching the attacking play, the team lacked the final touch or more accurate passes to successfully complete the attack. These details play a huge role. This highlights the need to improve finishing and final passes to improve performance, which requires high football intelligence on the part of strikers.
Arsenal’s attacks began with intense pressing, which forced Liverpool to change their strategy for the second half. They chose to bypass the press with longer passes, moving players around to maintain their position. Despite this approach, the main goal for Arsenal was to find a breakthrough using their physical efforts without controlling the ball. They aimed to control the game and set the pace, but their fatigue was the reason for their failure.
Finding an elite scorer who could solve these problems would be difficult and expensive, especially now in the middle of the season. A more cost-effective solution would be to manage passes into effective zones, with stronger defending, which is what Arsenal are doing. Although the team were leading at Christmas, they are now trailing the leaders in the Premier League. But it’s important to note that what a team does this season may be a more reliable indicator of future success.
