Arsenal have been the talk of the Premier League following their dramatic 2-2 draw against Manchester City.
Match day five of the Premier League season was full of drama, as the Gunners walked away from the Etihad with a 2-2 draw.
The result was so nearly different for Arsenal, who were moments away from claiming their first win away to City since 2015, with John Stones’ late equaliser spoiling the party.
Still, Mikel Arteta will not be too disappointed with the result, considering that his side played with 10 men for the entire second half following Leandro Trossard’s red card.
- READ MORE: The real reason why Mikel Arteta did something ‘people don’t like’ after Man City vs Arsenal
Paul Scholes shares his verdict on Arsenal’s start to the season
Arsenal’s well-fought draw at the Etihad has sparked great controversy in the media, with the North Londoners receiving heavy criticism for their defensive approach.
Defending a 2-1 lead with a man short in the second half was always going to leave Arteta’s game plan restricted, with the visitors doing well to maintain their advantage until the last moment.
Still, Arsenal have been blasted for their tactics in the fixture, with Paul Scholes now assessing the Gunners’ start to the season in reaction to the drama of week five.
“I sat here at the start of the season and thought Arsenal might win the league, but I’ve been a little bit disappointed with their start to the season,” Scholes said on The Overlap.
The former Manchester United midfielder’s opinion was a surprise considering that Arteta’s side collected seven points from a possible nine in their previous three significant away tests.
Scholes went on to explain one thing the Gunners are doing this term that makes them poorer than last season when in conversation with an Arsenal supporter.
“You’ve [Arsenal] been poor going forward, don’t you think this season?” Scholes asked the fan.
“Think about the goals you scored last year and everyone was talking in the summer about getting a centre-forward and being a bit more entertaining.”
“You probably didn’t think you needed it, but I think 5-6 games in, feels like you are struggling.”
Are Arsenal worse in attack this season?
While Scholes’ claims of Arsenal starting the season in disappointing fashion can be dismissed, there is some truth to the 11-time Premier League-winners opinion on the attack.
At the end of the 2023/24 campaign, the Gunners recorded an impressive 657 shots on goal over the season, with only Manchester City and Liverpool recording more, via the Premier League.
To put into perspective, this term has seen a dip, with Arsenal currently sitting 18th in the league when it comes to shots on goal (50) as only Leicester City and Ipswich Town have recorded fewer.
Putting the nature of the opening five fixtures aside, Arteta’s side are averaging only 10 shots per game at their current level of performance, which would amount to an average total of 380 by the end of the season if the highly unlikely rate continued.
Alarm bells don’t need to ring as Arsenal are only five games into the 2024/25 league calendar although, more excitement in attack could be something that the manager needs to soon address, with simpler fixtures coming up.
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