Arsenal’s attacking limitations are clear, but defensive strength can keep their title challenge on course until January. With tough away trips ahead, Arteta should embrace what his team do best while finding ways to turn control into more chances.
There is a strange habit of watching Arsenal win a game 1-0 and assuming they must have spent the afternoon defending.
The victory at Nottingham Forest was another example. Arsenal pushed high, controlled territory and tried to find a way through opponents who were content to sit deep and make life difficult. Yet some of the reaction suggested Mikel Arteta’s side had arrived with the handbrake on.
A low-scoring game does not automatically mean defensive football. In Arsenal’s case, it often reflects the challenge of breaking down it.
Statistically, Arsenal play with the highest defensive line in the Premier League. They squeeze the pitch, commit bodies forward and try to keep opponents pinned back. The frustration is what happens once they establish that position: too often, they lack the invention or individual quality to turn territorial dominance into clear chances.
That deserves scrutiny. But it should also come with recognition of the players available. Arsenal have essentially the same attacking options as last season. Their only addition in that department, Christos Tzolis, is injured. There was never likely to be a sudden transformation in what this group could produce against a packed defence.
Last season, set pieces helped solve those problems and Arsenal were criticised for relying on them. This season, they have won six of their opening seven league games (and three out of three in the cups), and the complaints continue.
At some point, the results deserve a little more credit. Forest away ended goalless in each of the previous two seasons. This time Arsenal found a way to win.
With this current crop, they are unlikely to be the league’s top scorers. They can, however, be its best team. Last season’s title proved that.
None of this means the attack is complete. Arsenal recognised the need for more and pursued players who could have raised the level significantly. Julián Álvarez or Vinícius would have changed the possibilities. Those attempts failed, but another middling attacker would hardly have guaranteed progress.
Instead, with William Saliba injured, Arsenal strengthened an area where they could make a meaningful difference.
The signing of Ezri Konsa increasingly looks a masterstroke.
He has a strong claim to being Arsenal’s player of the season so far, stepping into Saliba’s absence with remarkable assurance. A situation that could have undermined the campaign has instead demonstrated the value of recruiting an excellent defender, leaning into, and protecting, Arsenal's strengths.
When Saliba returns, Arsenal will have three elite centre-backs available in him, Gabriel and Konsa. That creates scope for rotation, protects against further injuries and provides a foundation capable of sustaining another title challenge.
Until January, Arsenal need to make full use of it.
The control against Napoli and Forest was also an encouraging, under-reported aspect. Arsenal sustained pressure and largely limited the opportunities for those games to become stretched. That was less evident at Brighton, so making it a consistent feature remains an important target.
Control alone is not enough though. Arsenal need quicker combinations, better movement around the penalty area and greater conviction when an opening appears. But it is the defensive security that gives their attacking players confidence to take those risks and perhaps there should be a bit more of this. Willing to penetrate centrally for example, the risk of turnover is higher, but the recovery of the likes of Rice, Konsa and Gabriel provides a safety blanket.
It is only when we reach January where there may be opportunity to change the personnel.
An attacking injection, perhaps even two, would be welcome. A Semenyo-like addition would bring directness and another way to unsettle defenders. If Eli Junior Kroupi returns to fitness, Arsenal should be paying close attention too. A young forward who already has a double-figure Premier League scoring season offers both immediate evidence and room to grow.
If the established stars remain unavailable, finding the next outstanding young attacker should be a serious part of the plan. Left-wing and centre-forward remain the glaringly obvious areas for improvement.
Before then, Arsenal face some demanding away trips. Bayern, Liverpool, Newcastle and Brentford will all test different aspects of this team. It would be silly to abandon their strengths and go gung-ho simply to give the neutral a better evening.
Arteta will rightly be focused on grinding out more wins like the one in Nottingham last weekend. Ideally, those will come with a few more shots and rather less chaos in the final few minutes. There is room to improve the performance without dismissing the value of the result.
For now, Arsenal must lean into their defensive solidity, reproduce their best spells of control and turn more of that pressure into chances. Their attack needs strengthening, but until January, there is nothing wrong with making another 1-0 win the starting point.