**Arsenal**are a club steeped in tradition for stylish football, but they have strayed from that image.
Systemic strength, defensive discipline and physical power are the bread and butter for the group under Mikel Arteta. Phases of seasons have shown strength in the final third, but the focus for the manager has leaned towards safety first. However, it feels like the creative instincts of the team are leaner than usual at the backend of the campaign. So, what is going on with the **Arsenal**attack?
Are individuals stepping up to the plate?
As attention shifts away from the midweek wizardry of Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain et al. in the Champions League, viewers were again reminded of the significance of stardust. The big stage calls for big players to deliver moments of magic: something in short supply from Arteta’s side.
Bukayo Saka has been the leading light in the final third for **Arsenal**over the years. However, he has not hit the heights he had reached before his Grade 3 hamstring tear in December 2024, looking below his best level in the final action. Wear and tear have harmed his campaign, and he has not featured since the Carabao Cup final, depriving the Gunners of an individual who so often sets the standard.
Without the ‘franchise player’, others have the opportunity to step up to the plate. But for all the outlay in the transfer window last summer, it still seems that the team are without an elite attacker.
Kai Havertz has still made his biggest impact for the team as a central forward, forcing to make do in an alternative midfield role behind Viktor Gyokeres. Neither man’s form has been in a favourable light since the start of April, and for a total fee of £130 million, their services should provide more.
Leandro Trossard has fallen away from the standards set in 2025 when he thrived in a tandem with Riccardo Calafiori. Scoreless in the Premier League since the 4-1 victory over Aston Villa in December, his impact has been limited. The same can be said for Gabriel Martinelli as **Arsenal**have ended up relying on two left wingers that were widely deemed inadequate as first choice options.
It is not all doom and gloom for the Gunners. The summer signings have not drastically raised the ceiling of the side, but one individual is living up his reputation for finishing seasons on a high note.
The exception is Eberechi Eze, whose torment of **Tottenham**at the end of February has marked an uptick in form. The attacker notched up seven strikes against **Everton**in a 2-0 win in March, looking more involved as a ten and then a deeper left sided 8 in the final 20 minutes of the match. Then came his explosive volley against **Bayer Leverkusen**to lift the roof at the Emirates Stadium in Europe.
Before the visit of Sporting, fighting talk came from the 27-year-old, whose bravery brought bright moments in the game for the hosts. But the overall performance provided only flashes of what fans wish to see from the attack, and it seems that the attacking struggles are not solely on the players.
Selection struggles
Individual quality is not the only piece of the puzzle. It is a manager’s job to platform his players and forge relationships that foreground good things that each person can bring to the table for the team.
The fluidity from the 2022/23 season has never been replicated, but the following two campaigns still showed signs of functional relationships in areas of the attack— especially with the right sided trio.
As the side has shifted away from leaning on Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Ben White, it is not clear that Arteta has replaced their synergy on a sustained basis elsewhere in the final third.
The most blatant example involved the defeat against **Bournemouth**last week. Arteta elected to use a frontline of Noni Madueke, Gyokeres and Martinelli: two ‘finishers’ on the flanks who are perceived as players of rotational level quality and striker who thrives most in more open spaces. Behind them in the ten was Havertz, who cannot mimic the control of Odegaard or the on-ball bravery of Eze.
If the intention had been to lean into the chaos of a contest against an intense opponent, then the plan fell flat on its face. Apart from a poorly placed aerial effort, Havertz had no success as a connecting presence while the teammates ahead of him highlighted their relative weaknesses with ball retention.
A lack of prior knowledge could not excuse Arteta either. He had used the same front three in the reverse fixture against the Cherries at the Vitality Stadium, suffering a similar set of problems. The trio had also started against **Wolves**in the 2-2 draw that drew so much ire from the supporters.
Arteta would have likely defended the use of this personnel by pointing out the state of the squad. The clash was sandwiched between the two legs against **Sporting**in the Champions League, and options had been stretched thin since Saka was not in a position to bring balance from the right flank. But if the purpose of supplementing the squad was to protect key figures, the plan seems to have failed.
Indeed, the **Arsenal**manager is not a man who has traditionally embraced rotation, and questions remain about his ability to maximise the tools in his armoury across the course of the campaign. The two talented products from Hale End who exploded last campaign are a testament to this situation.
With every passing week, the exit of **Ethan Nwaneri**on loan to **Marseille**is a decision tinged with regret. Meanwhile, minutes have been sparse for Myles Lewis-Skelly. Even if his future is not as a left back, the bullish ball carrying and progressive passing of the teenager would allow **Arsenal**more ability to move the ball through the middle of the field and have better on-ball presence on the left.
A breakdown in buildup
The scarcity of gametime for Lewis-Skelly also speaks to a bigger problem deeper on the field.
**Arsenal**are happy to rely on their defensive discipline to get them through games, but the physical and mental burden of being locked in from minute 1 until 90 in lower event affairs has been impossible to sustain over nine months. The toll the team is taking can be seen at the back.
Gabriel is a bedrock of the backline, but he is more inclined to avoid taking risks when he has ball possession. His partner, William Saliba, is a successful short passer who excels at keeping connected to his teammates and is shiftier down the channels under pressure to punt the ball out of harm’s way.
The right sided unit of the Gunners has been the hub for the team on the ball for this reason as well as the aforementioned trio that interact in the final third. It is a point that has been further highlighted through minutes for Cristhian Mosquera as a Saliba deputy, and the effects are being felt elsewhere.
**Piero Hincapie**has a similar no-nonsense attitude to Gabriel, and the presence of **Riccardo Calafiori**could offer more composure to prevent constant turnovers that hurt the ability of **Arsenal**to escape.
Pressure is also visible through the work of David Raya, who can be baited into playing with fire if he has to take on too much responsibility as an additional option in buildup. The Spaniard was lucky that he avoided direct fault for any goals against Bournemouth, and he has been burnt badly before.
Again, it appears advanced teammates are asking too much of the backline. Odegaard has more orchestratorial tendencies than Eze, bouncing around for the ball in deep areas, but his availability has dipped; **Declan Rice**and Martin Zubimendi are also flagging a little with their legs in the midfield.
Meanwhile, the old school option of playing for second balls simply cannot work when Gyokeres is the backboard. The **Sweden**striker enjoys moving out to the channels, but his technical quality and strength in duels for hold-up play leave a lot to be desired when the Gunners are under the cosh.
Firm foundations have given the group a high floor, but the ceiling cannot push onwards without game-changing quality and courage in their attacking unit. All around, there is work to do to try to achieve that target, and the Gunners shall hope the flaw does not cost them all four major honours.