Jamie Carragher claims that Arsenal’s biggest problem was never their finishing, as they suffered a familiar defeat in the Premier League over the weekend.
It comes as Arsenal fell to defeat against Liverpool at Anfield, where a Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick proved to be the difference.
The Gunners were competitive, even without their star man, Bukayo Saka, due to injury, while William Saliba suffered an ankle issue just a few minutes into the game.
While it was a game of fine margins, Arsenal were unable to make them swing their way, with Jamie Carragher questioning the creativity of Mikel Arteta’s team.
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Jamie Carragher questions Arsenal’s creativity rather than their finishing against Liverpool
Many people believed that Arsenal were a good striker away from winning the Premier League, with the signing of Viktor Gyokeres heralded as the final piece of the puzzle.
What the defeat at Liverpool suggested, however, is that it isn’t that straightforward.
So far, Gyokeres has had little to feed off of, with Carragher questioning the creativity of the Arsenal frontline.
Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “There was a lot of talk last season about what Arsenal need. I’ve never believed Arsenal’s problem was finishing.
“Arsenal’s problem is creating. That was the problem last season, they don’t create enough, the numbers, the xG, it’s all there in black and white.
“In the two away games we have seen from Arsenal this season, nothing has changed, heavily reliant on set-pieces, don’t create anything from open play, and the best team in Europe for me defensively.”
Chances were few and far between for either team, but open play opportunities were even tougher to come by for Arsenal.
With set-pieces being well-marked by Liverpool, the questions remain for the Gunners as to whether they can find new ways to score.
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Arsenal and Liverpool both struggled to create in the clash
While the overriding narrative is a familiar one for Arsenal when it comes to creating chances, the reality in the match is that neither team did much of note.
That is reflected in the Expected Goals statistic, which actually had the Gunners as the winners in terms of chances created.
The reality is that a bit of magic from Liverpool created the difference, and perhaps it’s that element of risk taken for the free-kick that led to the winner.
It suggests that the result may cloud the judgment on Arsenal’s performance, but it certainly isn’t a new issue.
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