Arsenal Progress Under Mikel Arteta And How They Achieved It

The 2022-23 football season has been one of the best in recent years. In the last few months, the fans have seen Lionel Messi finally lifting a FIFA World Cup, Borussia Dortmund challenging Bayern Munich’s hegemony, and Napoli blowing everyone to win a Serie A title. However, another team that performed well above everyone’s expectations is Arsenal.

Under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners went toe-to-toe with Manchester City and still have a mathematical chance of winning their first title in 19 years. However, before the start of the new season, even the most optimistic of Arsenal fans would not have envisioned their team performing with such machine-like precision.

With an average age of 25 years, the clubs had one of the youngest squads in Europe. However, their youth players stepped up to the plate massively, producing brilliant performances and that too on a constant basis which formed the bedrock of their incredible title challenge.

But what do the numbers say about Arsenal’s incredible season? We analyse/

Arsenal’s stats and playing style 

While analysing Arsenal’s stats, one thing stands out in particular, the increase in goals. And this should not come as a surprise as the team has accumulated 12 more points, scored 22 goals more, and conceded nine goals less. However, Arsenal have taken 35 shots less than the previous years with four games to go, and their shot conversion rate has also been almost the same.

The magic has happened in the goal conversion rate, where Arsenal have improved massively. Arsenal have a goal conversion rate of 14.26 per cent, the second-best in the Premier League and the sixth-best among the top five leagues. This has happened despite the team losing their designated number nine, Gabriel Jesus, for a large part of the season.

So, how did Arsenal get so better at shooting with almost the same number of shots and shot conversion rate? The answer is just one word, creativity. The most significant difference for Arsenal this season has been their wingers and midfielders being at their best to help the team dominate in both the midfield and attacking third.

In fact, they have been so brilliant that Arsenal have over-performed their Expected Goals by 16 per cent. Among the top performers have been Martin Odegaard, Granit Xhaka and Bukayo Sakak, who have combined for 25 assists.

92.1% – Following tonight’s 4-1 win against Arsenal, our predictor gives Manchester City a 92.1% chance of winning the Premier League this…