Arsenal began their 2025-26 Premier League campaign with three points thanks to their narrow 1-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday, but their performance at Old Trafford was far from convincing.
The Gunners generated just 0.29 expected goals from open play against the Red Devils, who finished 15th in the top flight last season, and they relied on a controversial goal from Riccardo Calafiori to seal the victory.
This has raised questions about the club's ability to create chances at the rate required to sustain a title challenge, with Liverpool and Manchester City both scoring four times in their opening games, and no team bettering the Reds' 2.51 expected goals against Bournemouth on matchday one.
Since Mikel Arteta's arrival in December 2019, the Londoners have spent more than €1bn on transfers, and the club only have one FA Cup to show for it.
Three consecutive second-placed finishes in the English top flight have put pressure on the team to finally lift the title this season, and it has been suggested by some that the manager's job could be at risk.
In an effort to try and push them over the line to collecting silverware, Arteta brought highly-rated striker Viktor Gyokeres to the Emirates, but while he is undoubtedly a good finisher, it remains to be seen if the Gunners' methods of creativity suit the Swedish hitman.
Here, Sports Mole considers Arsenal's creative numbers and how Gyokeres fits in to the title-challengers' attack.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta pictured on August 17, 2025
Why did Arsenal sign Viktor Gyokeres? Are Arteta's side creative enough for the striker?
When Gyokeres arrived from Sporting Lisbon in the summer, Arteta cited his impressive goal numbers as the reason for chasing his signature.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion and Coventry striker scored 39 goals across 33 Primeira Liga games in 2024-25, and his rate of one goal every 72 minutes in the Portugese top flight is hard to overlook.
Additionally, he also bagged six times in eight Champions League matches, proving his ability at the highest level and silencing those who would question his ability for playing in a lower-tier domestic division.
Generally, a player is considered to be a good finisher if they can match or overperform their expected goals tally across an extended period, and given that Gyokeres found the back of the net 39 times with an xG of 33.06 last season, his overperformance of almost 6 highlights that he is an elite goalscorer.
That being said, even though Mikel Merino was merely deputising at centre-forward last term, he managed to score seven Premier League goals from 6.78xG, and it would be fair to say that his finishing was high quality.
The fact that Arsenal had a forward up front - even a makeshift one - that could be relied upon to put chances away suggests that their attacking issues will not be solved with the arrival of a pure striker, and it can be inferred that creativity is the limiting factor at the Emirates.
On the other hand, while Merino was a good finisher, statistics must always be considered in context, and any expected goals figure does not account for the fact that Gyokeres is a natural striker, whose movement could lead to more chances being generated.
Bukayo Saka of Arsenal battles for the ball with Bruno Fernandes and Patrick Dorgu of Manchester United on August 17, 2025
How did Arsenal struggle creatively against Manchester United?
Arsenal handed a debut to Gyokeres in one of the biggest matches of the season, lining him up against Man United as part of a front three alongside Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
However, none of the trio came close to scoring, and it was notable that the Gunners fumbled a number of promising attacks - especially in transition - with misplaced passes and ill-advised dribbles.
For example, one standout moment came when Gyokeres picked up the ball on the right-hand side of the Red Devils' penalty area, and when he tried to cross it for a simple chance, he ended up clearing the ball, moving it closer to his own goal and out for a throw-in.
This type of disjointed offensive display has become more common at the Emirates in the seasons since Granit Xhaka, who often ranked highly throughout the top five leagues in progressive passing metrics, left the club for Bayer Leverkusen, but by signing Martin Zubimendi, the Gunners may have found the high-volume passer that they have lacked for a number of years now.
Arsenal's Martin Odegaard pictured on July 31, 2025
Additionally, attacking midfielder Martin Odegaard was also part of the lineup on Sunday, while Declan Rice and Zubimendi offered defensive support and cover for their teammates.
The Norwegian playmaker looked lively, dribbling through a fractured opposition midfield, but he was unable to create any clear-cut chances at the weekend, and was reduced to actions outside the 18-yard box for the most part.
In contrast, Man United introduced a new-look offensive setup with Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount up top, and the trio, along with Bruno Fernandes, looked dangerous throughout and were unlucky to not have impacted the scoreline.
The Red Devils produced 1.35xG from open play compared to Arsenal's 0.29, and the threat that both sets of forwards carried was drastically different.
Riccardo Calafiori and Declan Rice celebrate after scoring for Arsenal on August 17, 2025
Do Arteta's Arsenal rely too heavily on set-pieces?
One of the most common criticisms levied at Arteta's side is the fact that a significant proportion of their chances come from set pieces compared to their rivals.
For example, in 2024-25, Arsenal ranked eighth in the Premier League for expected goals from open play according to Statmuse, generating 43.58xG with the ball in play.
That number puts them below Brighton & Hove Albion, Bournemouth, Newcastle, Chelsea, Manchester City and even Tottenham Hotspur, who finished 17th in the top flight last term.
It also placed the Gunners a staggering 22.91xG behind expected title-rivals Liverpool, who produced 66.49xG from open play on the way to lifting their 20th crown.
Additionally, by comparing the Londoners' open play numbers with their overall figure of 62.90, it can be deduced that Arteta's men created 30.7% of their xG from set pieces last season.
For reference, only 22% of Liverpool's opportunities came from dead balls, while 23% of Pep Guardiola's side's chances arose from set pieces, highlighting the disparity between Arsenal and their opponents.
In isolation, this could point to the fact that Arteta has coached a team that are extremely potent from set pieces, but a striker like Gyokeres relies on consistent service in open play to thrive, and given that the Gunners place near mid-table in that regard, it remains to be seen if the former Sporting man can reach the numbers that other top forwards have in the Premier League.
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