Arsenal keep winning, but is the lack of goals a concern?
Martin Ødegaard's 72nd minute strike was enough to beat Hull City 1-0 on Saturday, but the Gunners needed until deep into the second half to find a breakthrough that, for long periods, looked like it might not come at all.
The Norwegian reacted quickest to fire home the rebound after Hull goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis saved Noni Madueke's effort, the decisive moment of a game that stayed goalless until the final 20 minutes. It continued a theme that has followed Arsenal through a week in which they have scored only three goals in two matches, a narrow 2-1 win over Slavia Prague in the Champions League preceding the single goal victory over Hull.
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A pattern worth watching
Arsenal arrived at the weekend off the back of a first win at Anfield against Liverpool in 14 years, a result that helped them overtake Manchester City at the top of the table. That context made the performance against Hull all the more notable: a newly promoted side who had already surprised Manchester United 2-0 in August and pushed fourth placed Chelsea close this season.
As JustArsenal pointed out in their analysis of the win, Arsenal were reserved in their approach against Hull and still lack a cutting edge in front of goal, despite sitting top of the Premier League table. The piece also noted that Arsenal should have scored more freely against Slavia Prague given their recent record in the Champions League, having reached the final and semi final in the past two seasons.
Three points still the priority
Mikel Arteta's side have now strung together back to back wins against Liverpool and Hull, results that matter in a title race regardless of the margin. Had Arsenal scored three or four against Hull, questions over their attacking fluency would likely not be asked. Instead, a single goal has been enough twice running, continuing a long tradition at the club of narrow victories, often referenced in the “1-0 to The Arsenal” chant that has followed the team for decades.
Whether that represents a concern or simply efficient, title winning football is a matter of perspective. Arsenal have not dropped points in either of their last two fixtures, and the table does not record how many goals were needed to get there. But with games against sides like Hull proving tighter than many may have expected, the margin for error in front of goal remains a talking point as the season progresses.
Arsenal will want to find a more fluent attacking rhythm as fixtures continue to come thick and fast, with the gap at the top of the table still something to be protected rather than taken for granted.
