A THREAD: From struggles under Emery to growing under Arteta. A deeper dive into the numbers of Arsenal’s season and how Arteta has changed the fortune of Emery’s struggling squad. Arteta’s impact and some things he would like to improve upon in the transfer market.

Background: I have spent the past weeks developing a database of Arsenal statistics and information to analyse. All of these analytics come from the database I developed. If you enjoy a like and RT is much appreciated as this is new and I would love to grow the account. Enjoy!

Under Unai Emery Premier League
13 Games Played
4 Wins
6 Draws (4 to bottom half teams)
3 Losses

30% Win Percentage
1.38 Points Per Game

Additional Premier League Game Statistics Under Emery
1.38 Goals Scored
1.46 Goals Conceded

12.46 Shots For
16.77 Shots Conceded

10.46 Chances For
13.23 Chances Against

Pragmatic.

During this time Bernd Leno showed what an expert shot stopper he is, having to face nearly 17 shots a game is almost unheard of for any keeper. This allowed him to cement himself as one of the top shot stoppers in the Premier League.

Another highlight under Unai Emery was the emergence of our young brazilian phenom Gabriel Martinelli.
Emery gave Martinelli a chance to play in cup ties producing an incredible return of 7 goals and 2 Assists in only 6 appearances (Goal Involvement every 56 minutes).

Baller.

Arsenal Under Mikel Arteta
13 Premier League Games Played in 2020
7 Wins
4 Draws
2 Losses

54% Win Percentage
1.92 Points Per Game

Since the start of 2020, Arsenal have been in form that has been top 3 in the Premier League. Playing every 3 days is a very difficult task and navigating through a pandemic is unprecedented. This improvement is very impressive given all of the external challenges.

With no marquee signings made in January and the same players available to Arteta that were available to Emery I looked deeper into what has changed within Arsenal during Mikel Arteta’s tenure as well as some things that he would still like to improve upon.

Positive #1: Improved Defensive Record
During Arteta’s time, the defense has become much more structured without the attack being at the expense of the organization. The numbers back this up and it is visible on the pitch. The back line is more secure.

1.77 Goals Per Game
0.85 Goals Conceded

Shots Conceded down to 12 per match from nearly 17.
7 Clean Sheets (54% of matches Played)

Lock Down.

One player that has improved drastically is Shkodran Mustafi. The 28 yr. old German international has played a major factor in this improvement of defensive record. With one year left on his contract Arsenal must make a decision on his future. Would you sell or extend? Poll below

Would you sell or extend Mustafi?

Positive #2: Body Language
Since Arteta took over there has been a positive shift in body language. This photo is from Saturday’s match against Wolves. You can see how bought in each player is into his vision and how attentive they are when he speaks to them.

Positive #3: Maintaining Young Talent
The next positive comes with maintaining young talent. In the past week our top young players Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have both agreed to long term contracts to remain at the club. This is a very bright sign for the future.

Although Arsenal have drastically improved in many areas, there will be areas Mikel Arteta is keen on improving moving into the transfer market this summer. I have analyzed our performances and below are some areas I believe he will be keen to improve upon.

Improvement #1: Ball Progression Through Central Midfield
Recently, Arsenal has been better at controlling the tempo of games. However, 58% of Arsenal’s completed passes have been in their own half. Elite teams like City and Liverpool have >50% possession in the attacking half.

Arsenal have been heavily linked with 27 yr old Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey. This signing has the potential to improve ball progression into the attacking third by strengthening the base of central midfield. What a signing this would be.

Improvement #2: Chance Creation
Another area of improvement is in the category of chance creation. Arsenal have averaged 7.92 chances created from open play per match under Arteta. Lacking a creative playmaker, this number can improve with a new attacking #8.

Arsenal have been linked with Aouar from Lyon and Szoboslai from Salzburg. I would love one of these creators in our squad and it would make a massive difference in improving chance creation in our attack. I will be doing independent threads on each of these players.

It is clear that Arsenal have been making tremendous progress. With time, I see the squad continuing to improve and developing into a competitive force that brings us all excitement again.

Cheers to all who made it this far. In the coming weeks I will be doing deeper analysis on each one of Arsenal’s potential transfer targets and analyse what each potential signing could bring to the squad. If you enjoyed it, RT and send it to a friend. Much appreciated!