Arsenal now find themselves below Chelsea in stat which will worry Arteta

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Arsenal have seen their title challenge take a huge hit in recent weeks as a run of one win in five games has caused a lot of concern.

Back-to-back defeats against West Ham and Fulham, with just one goal scored, have raised calls for a new striker in the January transfer window.

Although Arsenal have been strong defensively, they are struggling in attack, with all three of Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli failing to find their best form.

This has become a particular worry, as Mikel Arteta’s side find themselves below Chelsea and Fulham in a worrying stat.

Arsenal are struggling to score from open play

Whoscored have now highlighted a remarkable stat, that Arsenal have scored just 20 open-play goals in the Premier League this season.

This ranks them below the likes of Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Fulham on 21, and places the Gunners 13th in the Premier League in this metric.

Arsenal have scored 37 goals in the league this season, meaning nearly half were from penalties and set pieces.

Six of Arsenal’s goals have been from the penalty spot, whilst 11 have been from set pieces, with the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes and Leandro Trossard finding the back of the net from corners.

Why are Arsenal struggling going forward?

Arsenal’s attackers have failed to hit their best form in front of goal, with Saka the top scorer in the league with six strikes.

The loss of Granit Xhaka in the summer has meant that the connection between the midfield and attack has been weakened, with Kai Havertz also struggling to create big chances by progressing the ball from the middle of the park.

Arsenal have dominated possession in most of their games, with Arteta aiming to control games, but there is a lack of a spark in attack which has meant that Arsenal are often reliant on set-pieces to score.

The Gunners have also struggled to score early goals, and opposition teams often sit deep in low-block defences, which frustrate Arsenal as they struggle to find a breakthrough.

Pedro Neto has been linked as a winger who could provide more speed and creativity off the bench, whilst Ivan Toney has been named as an attacker who can be more clinical in front of goal.

Arsenal will not be able to compete with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League unless they add more goals to the side, and the lack of goals from open play is a major concern for Arteta ahead of the second half of the season.