Arsenal now find themselves below Luton in stat which will worry Mikel Arteta

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Arsenal have had a mixed start to the season, as they remain unbeaten after six games, but have looked unconvincing at times.

There was a lot of disappointment at their 2-2 draw in the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates, and whilst Mikel Arteta’s side have been dominant in possession in most games, the attack has failed to click so far.

Arsenal have now created just seven big chances in their six games this season, with 11 league goals in that time. This ranks them 15th in the Premier League, and astonishingly newly promoted side Luton actually place higher than the Gunners, with eight big chances.

This is a stat which may cause some alarm, and highlights why Arsenal have not looked as fluid going forward as they did last season.

Why are Arsenal struggling to create?

This stat is almost reminiscent of Arsenal’s struggles three years ago, when there was no creative midfielder in the team prior to the introductions of Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard.

However, given that Kai Havertz, Odegaard, Fabio Vieira, Leandro Trossard and Smith Rowe are now all options in attacking midfield, Arteta should not be encountering the same issues as he did when Joe Willock, Willian and Alexandre Lacazette were his options.

Arsenal had their highest-scoring league season in the Premier League last year, but so far have failed to replicate that form. There are many ways to pinpoint the struggles: Havertz has received heavy criticism following his arrival from Chelsea, whilst Smith Rowe has barely played.

The departure of Granit Xhaka in the summer also appears to be having an impact, and Arsenal will hope that they can return to their fearsome attacking form ahead of the visit of Manchester City in October.

There seems to be a lack of fluency between the midfield and attack, with Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus both failing to make it fully flow going forward, and Arteta will hope that the potential return of Thomas Partey could help ease the pressure on the front line and allow them to flourish.