With just 13 Premier League games remaining this campaign, Arsenal are well and truly in the driving seat to finally end their 22-year wait for a top division title.
Mikel Arteta’s side’s 3-0 victory over Sunderland at the Emirates yesterday moved them nine points clear of Manchester City, ahead of their trip to Anfield this afternoon.
The result also makes it four wins in a row for the Gunners across all competitions, with their recent defeat to Manchester United now firmly in their rear-view mirror.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reacts
Whilst it wasn’t a vintage display against the Black Cats on Saturday afternoon, it was enough to complete another convincing scoreline - but more importantly, three crucial points.
Arteta made numerous interesting calls with his starting eleven prior to kick-off, but it was a change he made during the encounter that catapulted the side to yet another triumph.
The stats behind Viktor Gyokeres’ display v Sunderland
After failing to score in the Carabao Cup win over Chelsea in midweek, Arteta decided to hand Gabriel Jesus a start over Viktor Gyokeres at the top end of the pitch.
However, an hour into the clash, the Spaniard decided to reverse his original change and hand the Swede the perfect opportunity to stake his claim for a return to the starting role.
Gyokeres-Havertz-Kairat
The 27-year-old did exactly that just a handful of minutes after being introduced, subsequently firing home from Kai Havertz’s cut back despite losing his balance.
He also found the net once again in stoppage time to net his second of the afternoon, subsequently poking home from close range after excellent work from Gabriel Martinelli.
Whilst he only managed seven touches during his 30 minutes on the pitch, two of which ended up in the back of the net - demonstrating the clinical nature he’s often lacked in recent weeks.
After such a showing, there’s no doubt that Gyokeres has certainly given the manager something to think about, with the forward taking his chance off the bench with both hands.
The Arsenal player who was saved by Gyokeres
As previously mentioned, striker Jesus was the player who made way for Gyokeres in the second half, with his withdrawal from the contest certainly warranted.
Jesus-Arteta-Arsenal
The Brazilian international also struggled to get hugely involved in proceedings, subsequently amassing a total of just 17 touches during his hour on the pitch.
He also only managed to complete six passes, at an accuracy rate of 67%, often being unable to make the ball stick when it fell his way within the final third of the pitch.
Odegaard-Jesus-Zubimendi-Arsenal
However, despite his struggles at the Emirates, Jesus wasn’t the only attacker who failed to deliver, with Noni Madueke once again struggling after being included in the starting eleven.
The Englishman, who joined the club for £55m in the summer, has been handed the chance to shine in Bukayo Saka’s absence, but his showing against the Black Cats yesterday was far from the level expected.
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Like Jesus, he featured for an hour of the contest, but also struggled to make the desired impact in possession, subsequently registering just 28 touches of the ball.
He also failed to complete any of the three crosses he made into the opposition area, whilst also being unable to take on any of the opposition when in transition.
Noni Madueke - stats against Sunderland
Statistics
Minutes played
Touches
Crosses completed
Take-ons completed
Passes completed
Duels lost
Possession lost
Shots taken
Madueke’s struggles were further reflected in his measly tally of just nine passes completed, whilst also losing 66% of the duels he entered - with the visitors managing to keep him quiet.
The former Chelsea man was also extremely wasteful when in possession, subsequently giving the ball away on 11 separate occasions, with Arteta making the right call in replacing him.
Saka’s absence has only magnified how crucial he is to the Gunners, with the club’s frontline certainly looking devoid of creativity without his presence on the right wing.
As for the big-money addition, he will no doubt need more time to settle into life in North London, but there’s little denying his showing yesterday was unacceptable.
The manager should certainly look to replace him ahead of the next round of fixtures, whether that be with Saka if he’s fit or another option within the first-team ranks.
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