Arsenal’s feud with Manchester City has been kicked into overdrive this season as the two teams look to battle for the Premier League title once again.
The teams have battled over the past two seasons – with the Gunners going close but narrowly missing out to City on both occasions.
This season has seen the rivalry hit another level, perhaps through pure frustration as Liverpool have moved clear at the top.
After an encounter between Arsenal and Man City, Erling Haaland told Mikel Arteta to “stay humble”, prompting a small scuffle after.
Since then, both teams have struggled for form, but the striker has had particular issues in front of goal.
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Erling Haaland’s record since Arsenal claim
Since Haaland hit out at Arsenal, his record has been far from his best and he is starting to cause questions amid Man City’s poor form.
Pep Guardiola’s side have now lost three games in a row in the Premier League, with three wins and one draw in the seven since the draw with the Gunners.
In that time, Haaland has scored just two league goals – scoring against Southampton and Brighton over those seven games.
The forward has been struggling in front of goal, which has coincided with City struggling across the whole team.
| Appearances | 7 |
| Goals | 2 |
| xG | 7.92 |
The xG [Expected Goals] suggests that the forward will rediscover his shooting boots at some point, though they are currently missing.
For the time being though, it’s a clear indicator of Man City’s struggles and dip in form, but it also perhaps points to a question Arsenal have had over the team for a while.
Arsenal striker transfer conundrum
One thing that has plagued Mikel Arteta in recent windows has been the lack of a clinical goalscoring striker.
Arsenal have been linked with a centre-forward transfer, but they have been unable to secure the deal for the right one so far.
It’s a topic of conversation once again ahead of the January transfer window, with options such as Viktor Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen and Alexander Isak all on the cards.
Regardless of who they sign, Haaland’s recent form shows that the side must depend on more than just a goalscorer to land them points.
Output from the wingers, midfielders and even defenders will be crucial, so much so that the Gunners can’t afford to change their whole style of play for one striker.
That has been the case at City with Haaland, which works when he’s scoring and fails when he isn’t – the second top-scorer in the league behind him is Josko Gvardiol with just three.
It gives Arsenal a huge conundrum on who to sign and which player can slot into the team perfectly while adding their scoring touch.
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