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Originally Posted by GiRTh

If that stat’s true, it probably reflects the wider picture. The forwards aren’t firing consistently, and as I’ve said before, if Arsenal do end up winning the league, it may well be the defensive unit that carries them through rather than the attack.

Hopefully this serves as a reminder of how fine the margins are. One mistake and two excellent finishes were enough for United, and that’s the Premier League — you can be punished very quickly. On another day, without that slip, Dorgu and Cunha don’t score, Arsenal manage the game, and it ends 1–0 or 2–0 with people saying they controlled it without much effort. But that’s not how it played out, and it shows how little room there is for error.

From here, they need to approach every match with full focus. Not as “just another league game,” but with the intensity of a cup tie. That’s the standard required if they want to stay in the title race.

It seems to me that Arsenal are relying on set pieces to get their goals. As a strategy that has worked well so far, but like everything, teams start to figure out how to counteract it. That to me is why Arsenal games feel different.

If, at the end of the season, the strategy works and they win the league then they will continue that way next season. If they lose by a couple of points then they will need to rethink. Thats where arsenal are for me at the moment