Image source: bbc.com
Arsenal are attempting to become the first team to win the Premier League without a player in the top 10 goalscorers, currently sitting six points clear at the summit despite their leading scorers Leandro Trossard and Viktor Gyokeres having just five league goals each this season.
Arsenal Six Points Clear Despite Lacking Regular Goalscorer This Season
The Gunners have enjoyed an exceptional campaign with only two defeats across all competitions, maintaining a perfect Champions League record while reaching the Carabao Cup semi-finals and FA Cup fourth round. Despite scoring 40 league goals this season, second only to Manchester City, Arsenal have distributed their goalscoring across 13 different players, with only Brighton having more scorers with 15.
Mikel Arteta’s side face the unusual challenge of pursuing their first league title since 2004 without a prolific striker, as their joint-top scorers Trossard and Gyokeres rank 21st in the Premier League’s goalscoring charts. This contrasts sharply with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, who has already netted 20 league goals this season and represents the type of regular scorer Arsenal currently lack.
Summer signing Viktor Gyokeres has struggled to replicate his Sporting form, where he scored 97 goals in 102 games, managing just one goal from open play in his last 15 matches. The Swedish international’s confidence appears severely affected, highlighted by his performance against Liverpool where he recorded only eight touches and failed to attempt a shot during the match.
Arsenal’s attacking options have been boosted by Kai Havertz’s return from a lengthy hamstring and knee injury that sidelined him for almost a year. The German international made his comeback in the 4-1 FA Cup victory over Portsmouth, playing the final 21 minutes, with Arteta describing his movement and awareness as “a joy to watch” and confirming “we’ve missed him big time.”
The Gunners’ defensive solidity mirrors Chelsea’s 2004-05 title-winning campaign, having conceded just 14 goals in 21 league games despite injuries to key defenders Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Riccardo Calafiori. Arsenal’s set-piece prowess has also compensated for their lack of a regular scorer, netting 17 goals from corners across all competitions this season, the most by any Premier League team.
- Erling Haaland (Man City) – 20 goals
- Igor Thiago (Brentford) – 16 goals
- Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth) – 10 goals
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United) – 9 goals
- Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) – 8 goals
- Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool) – 8 goals
- Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle) – 8 goals
- Danny Welbeck (Brighton) – 8 goals
- Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) – 7 goals
- Phil Foden (Man City) – 7 goals
