March 2010 April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 July 2010
August 2010
September 2010 October 2010
November 2010
December 2010
January 2011
February 2011 March 2011 April 2011 May 2011 June 2011 July 2011 August 2011 September 2011 October 2011 November 2011 December 2011 January 2012 February 2012 March 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012 August 2012 September 2012 October 2012 November 2012 December 2012 January 2013 February 2013 March 2013 April 2013 May 2013 June 2013 July 2013 August 2013 September 2013 October 2013 November 2013 December 2013 January 2014 February 2014 March 2014 April 2014 May 2014 June 2014 July 2014 August 2014 September 2014 October 2014 November 2014 December 2014 January 2015 February 2015 March 2015 April 2015 May 2015 June 2015 July 2015 August 2015 September 2015 October 2015 November 2015 December 2015 January 2016 February 2016 March 2016 April 2016 May 2016 June 2016 July 2016 August 2016 September 2016 October 2016 November 2016 December 2016 January 2017 February 2017 March 2017 April 2017 May 2017 June 2017 July 2017 August 2017 September 2017 October 2017 November 2017 December 2017 January 2018 February 2018 March 2018 April 2018 May 2018 June 2018 July 2018 August 2018 September 2018 October 2018 November 2018 December 2018 January 2019 February 2019 March 2019 April 2019 May 2019 June 2019 July 2019 August 2019 September 2019 October 2019 November 2019 December 2019 January 2020 February 2020 March 2020 April 2020 May 2020 June 2020 July 2020 August 2020 September 2020 October 2020 November 2020 December 2020 January 2021 February 2021 March 2021 April 2021 May 2021 June 2021 July 2021 August 2021 September 2021 October 2021 November 2021 December 2021 January 2022 February 2022 March 2022 April 2022 May 2022 June 2022 July 2022 August 2022 September 2022 October 2022 November 2022 December 2022 January 2023 February 2023 March 2023 April 2023 May 2023 June 2023 July 2023 August 2023 September 2023 October 2023 November 2023 December 2023 January 2024 February 2024 March 2024
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30
31
News Every Day |

Arteta, numbers, shots and goals

So, at the end of the Premier League weekend we remain in 5th place. Which, despite our defeat – and the other defeats this campaign – is a decent place to be, all things considered.

I’ve seen a fair amount of discussion over the weekend about stats, underlying metrics and all the rest, and I’m always interested in that side of things. However, when it comes right down to it, surely the best judge of where you are is where you are? If that doesn’t sound too reductive.

I don’t dismiss the stats by any means, but points on the board are far more important. Those stats can be predictive, but it’s not a scientific formula which is set in stone. You can improve, you can do better, and a few big results can change the measure of them considerably. Still, I thought I’d take a look at the basics in a bit more detail.

After 12 games this season, we have 20 points, averaging 1.66 points per game. We’ve scored 13 goals, that’s 1.08 goals per game (more on this anon); and conceded 17 which works out at 1.41 goals per game. To put that into perspective, at the same point last season we had 13 points (1.08 per game), scored 10 (0.83 goals per game), and conceded 15 (1.25 per game). We were also in 15th, not 5th.

So, you can see there has been some improvement, most obviously in league position, but goals per game is better, goals conceded is better, and points per game is better. However, it’s also fair to point out that in some cases the improvement is marginal, and acknowledge that bar was set very low in the first place. It’s also important to note that conceding more than you score is bad, even if that might be skewed by some big defeats (those are also bad).

The big issue for me has been, and remains, chance creation and goalscoring. There have been signs that this is improving, but it remains a worry. In our 38 Premier League games last season, we averaged 11.97 shots per game, and 3.7 shots on target per game. So far this season, we’re averaging 13.33 shots per game, and 4.33 shots on target per game. Again, it’s better, but there’s certainly room for improvement, and if we want to maintain this current direction in the Premier League and push for a European place, it feels absolutely necessary.

To put those numbers in context, this season Liverpool average 19.41 shots per game, and 6.5 shots on target; Chelsea 15.25 and 5.33; while West Ham – a team more analogous with us right now, are on 14.91 and 4.66. I’m not including Man City because everything about them bores the bollix off me.

With a young team that will grow and mature, that there are statistical improvements is promising and hopefully that trajectory will continue. The nagging doubt about goals is right there though. Our list of scorers this season looks light:

I fully understand why Mikel Arteta picks Bukayo Saka over Nicolas Pepe on the right, but for all his flaws, the record signing is someone who has scored and assisted with greater frequency than almost anyone else in the squad. I don’t want to make any excuses, because a big part of a manager’s job is to work with the players he’s got and get the best out of them, but it also feels like some of the attacking pieces don’t quite fit.

It’s clear he has reservations about Pepe, who has only played 5 minutes of the last four games, and has just a single assist in the league so far; Alexandre Lacazette has done well enough in recent weeks, but is an imperfect solution to the role he’s being asked to play, not to mention the fact he’s likely to leave next summer (1 goal this season); while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is what he is at 32, but we never seem to consistently try and play to his strengths and often ask him to do things which take him away from the positions he’s best in.

The question is though, would different personnel make it all better? I’m not really sure. We’ve got to see more from this team from an attacking sense to be able to say ‘If we got X player, he’d make a big difference’ to our goalscoring/chance creation. I could be wrong, and of course you can’t rule out how much impact the ‘right’ player can have in a team – a piece of the puzzle that helps bring everything else together. We still need to score goals and win games until that mythical arrival though, so there’s little point dwelling on that. It feels a bit aspirational now anyway.

Perhaps small improvements throughout this season as this team grows together will offset some of the concerns. It’s not impossible by any means. As it stands, our position in the league is encouraging, and if we can keep up this pace, we should keep ourselves in the fight for at least a Europa League place. With tight margins though, giving ourselves a bit more wiggle room in certain games by being more potent as an attacking force is something I really hope the manager can focus on. Let’s see what he can deliver in the weeks ahead.

Right, that’s it for this morning. James and I will be recording the Arsecast Extra for you later this morning. Keep an eye out for the call for questions on Twitter @gunnerblog and @arseblog on Twitter with the hashtag #arsecastextra – or if you’re on Arseblog Member on Patreon, leave your question in the #arsecast-extra-questions channel on our Discord server.

Podcast should be out at lunchtime or thereabouts, so until then, take it easy.

The post Arteta, numbers, shots and goals appeared first on Arseblog ... an Arsenal blog.

I was diagnosed with cancer aged 39… you are never too rich, too famous or too young, says Dr Philippa Kaye

Top 5 Websites to Watch FREE Movies - TV Shows (No Sign up!)

The 10 Intense New Action Movies on Netflix That Left Me on the Edge of My Seat!

Top 10 Love Affair Movies of the 2000s and 2010s

Ria.city






Read also

John Daly’s Guns N’ Roses karaoke at Galleri Classic party has fans calling for HOF

The Sketchy Career of an Anti-Abortion Doctor in the Mifepristone Case

No. 49 Men’s Tennis Returns Home to Face No. 5 Kentucky, No. 25 Auburn

News, articles, comments, with a minute-by-minute update, now on Today24.pro

News Every Day

The 10 Intense New Action Movies on Netflix That Left Me on the Edge of My Seat!

Today24.pro — latest news 24/7. You can add your news instantly now — here


News Every Day

The 10 Intense New Action Movies on Netflix That Left Me on the Edge of My Seat!



Sports today


Новости тенниса
ATP

Хачанов: хочу вернуться в топ-10 ATP



Спорт в России и мире
Москва

Актера Свиридова госпитализировали из-за инфицирования после операции в Москве



All sports news today





Sports in Russia today

Москва

GeekVape в сотрудничестве с Absolute Racing выиграла чемпионат в категории GT3


Новости России

Game News

Шапки женские вязаные на Wildberries, 2024 — новый цвет от 392 руб. (модель 466)


Russian.city


Москва

Путин уточнил у Беглова причины снижения популярности Петербурга у туристов


Губернаторы России
Елена Ходырева

Эксперты КА «Главный Советник» приняли участие в форуме «Тренды и антитренды корпоративного видео сегодня»


Ключевым элементом успеха компании является ее подход к клиентам

«Авангард» победил «Локомотив» со счетом 3:2 и сравнял счет в серии плей-офф КХЛ

Оставить за кадром: соцсетям и блогерам хотят запретить публикации жестокого видео

Metaratings: "Спартак" может уволить Абаскаля по ходу сезона, клуб ищет тренера


А надо было ласково? Тимати после слов о "ребятах"-террористах ответили по-мужски

Баста, Валерия и "Любэ" исполнили песни Муслима Магомаева

Концерт группы «Пикник» в Петербурге начался с минуты молчания о жертвах теракта

Музыкант Устьянцев: Сергей Шнуров — профессионал, а Жуков — «балалаечка»


Азаренко вышла в полуфинал турнира WTA-1000 в Майами

Янник Синнер поделился впечатлениями от общения с игроками сборной Италии по футболу

Битые корты: Медведев и Александрова вышли в четвертьфинал Miami Open

Теннисист Медведев вышел в полуфинал турнира в Майами, обыграв Харри



Перенос дат II этапа культурного проекта «Классика: история и современность» в Дмитрове

Пассажир рейса Москва — Пермь попал в реанимацию

Заказать недорогой ремонт кухонной мебели в районе в Москве и Московской области

Шапки женские вязаные на Wildberries, 2024 — новый цвет от 392 руб. (модель 466)


Сергей Собянин рассказал, как Москва помогает производителям оборудования

Минстрой предложил увеличить стоимость жилья в большинстве регионов России

Продвижение Песен и Музыки в Плей-листах Яндекс.Музыка.

Путин назвал культуру духовным каркасом народа в трагические для страны моменты


Торги уместны: аукционный рынок России вырос вдвое

Спортивные выходные с «Известиями»

В метрах от спада: есть ли риск кризиса на российском рынке жилья

Казанский ТЮЗ предложил зрителям самим вернуть деньги за отмененные спектакли



Путин в России и мире






Персональные новости Russian.city
Егор Крид

В Москве суд отклонил требование общественника Морозова закрыть YouTube-канал Егора Крида



News Every Day

Top 10 Emmanuelle Seigner Movies




Friends of Today24

Музыкальные новости

Персональные новости