The Emirates Stadium, usually a fortress, turned into a theatre of frustration on Saturday as Arsenal were held to a 0-0 draw by a disciplined and determined Everton side. The result, met with audible frustration from the home support, feels like another missed step in the Gunners’ increasingly precarious pursuit of Premier League glory.
This was a day that typified Arsenal’s struggles: dominance in possession, precision in the build-up, yet a worrying lack of bite in the final third. The familiar themes of profligacy and absence of a clinical number nine leave lingering questions that Mikel Arteta must address before the title race slips beyond reach.
Signs of Progress but the Final Touch Missing
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Mikel Arteta’s side began as expected, pinning Everton deep inside their half and probing with measured possession. Arsenal enjoyed a staggering 76% of the ball and registered 13 attempts on goal, but Everton’s backline – marshalled superbly by Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski – stood firm.
Photo: IMAGO
Arteta, visibly frustrated after the match, was measured in his analysis: “There was only one team who deserved to win today. We gave nothing away – no shots conceded, dominated possession and created chances. But you have to score. That’s the reality of football.”
The numbers paint a stark picture of Arsenal’s finishing woes. They have scored 29 goals in 16 matches this season – four fewer than at this stage last year and a troubling 11 fewer than the 2022/23 campaign. Their shot conversion rate of 12.8% matches their expected rate (12.3%), underlining a team that creates enough but lacks a decisive edge.
In the absence of an elite striker, Arsenal’s forwards have collectively carried the load. Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Kai Havertz bring dynamism and creativity, but none embody the ruthless finishing that separates contenders from champions. A single moment in the second half encapsulated this: Havertz, in a promising position inside the box, failed to sort his feet out. A sharper marksman would have buried it.
A Stubborn Everton Defence Refuses to Buckle
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Everton manager Sean Dyche arrived with a clear blueprint: frustrate, defend deep, and hit on the break if opportunities arose. His side executed that plan with precision. While the Toffees registered no shots, their defensive solidity was impeccable, limiting Arsenal to speculative efforts and hopeful crosses.
Dyche, always the pragmatist, praised his side’s commitment: “They were trying to force something, which shows how defensively solid we were. The lads worked hard to protect the goal.”
Jordan Pickford, although not overworked, came up big when required, his saves combined with last-ditch blocks from his defenders adding to Arsenal’s frustration. The Gunners delivered 28 crosses into the box, but without a recognised target man, those deliveries proved futile.
Corners, an area where Arsenal have excelled since last season, offered no reprieve. Eight set-piece attempts came and went without consequence, a reflection of Everton’s organisation and Arsenal’s lack of ingenuity in open play.
Is a Striker Arsenal’s Missing Piece?
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The debate around Arsenal’s need for a striker is growing louder. Since the departure of prime-era Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the Gunners have lacked a natural finisher capable of delivering when margins are tight. Even last season’s overperformance in expected goals (xG) has faded; Arsenal now sit at 27.7 xG, down from 29.7 this time last year and 31.5 in 2022/23.
With January looming, names like Alexander Isak and Dusan Vlahovic have surfaced as potential solutions. Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown, speaking on TNT Sports, suggested Arteta needs “a different tool in the box”, someone with instinct and anticipation to convert half-chances into goals.
Theo Walcott echoed similar sentiments on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Liverpool are relentless, and Arsenal can’t afford slip-ups like this. Everton’s approach was predictable, but without a clinical striker, Arsenal couldn’t break them down.”
Arteta, for all his tactical acumen, faces a critical decision in January. Arsenal’s failure to beat Everton and Fulham in consecutive weeks has seen them drift six points behind Liverpool, who are showing no signs of slowing down. With the title race unforgiving, the lack of a reliable goalscorer is a glaring issue.
Numbers Tell the Story of Arsenal’s Shortcomings
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To understand Arsenal’s drop-off this season, one need only look at the statistics:
* Arsenal’s 29 goals are four fewer than last season and a steep drop from 40 at the same stage in 2022/23.
* Their xG of 27.7 reflects a decline in both shot volume and quality of chances.
* Nine of their goals (33%) have come from set-pieces, a dependency that highlights a lack of cutting edge in open play.
* Shot volume has dropped significantly, with 13 fewer attempts compared to last year.
This isn’t just a matter of scoring fewer goals; it’s about creativity as well. Arsenal’s build-up remains elite, but without a focal point to finish moves, their dominance often fizzles out.
Arteta’s Balancing Act Moving Forward
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Arsenal’s title hopes are far from over, but they are teetering. The draw against Everton feels symptomatic of a deeper issue that needs urgent addressing. Arteta’s side are still defensively solid – conceding the fewest goals in the league – but the margins in a title race are defined by ruthless efficiency in front of goal.
The January transfer window presents an opportunity to remedy this. Whether it’s Isak, Vlahovic, or another marquee striker, Arsenal must act decisively to add the missing piece to their puzzle.
For now, though, the frustration lingers. Arsenal, with their ambitions to topple Manchester City and outlast Liverpool, can ill afford any more afternoons like this. Against Everton, their effort and control were evident. But as Arteta acknowledged, the hardest thing in football is scoring goals – and right now, that’s where his team are falling short.