Arsenal have reasons for hope in attacking shoot -out with Man City for Premier League tittle.
Man City are new Premier League leaders and title favourites but do Arsenal's returning players give them cause for optimism in their 'shoot-out' for the crown? Watch Arsenal vs Newcastle live on Sky Sports Premier League from 5pm on Saturday; kick-off 5.30pm
Welcome to The Radar, a Sky Sports column in which Nick Wright uses a blend of data and opinion to shed light on need-to-know stories from up and down the Premier League. This week:
Attacking encouragement for Arsenal?
Pep Guardiola insists Manchester City are prioritising points over goal difference in their title fight with Arsenal. "It's just a question of winning games," he said. But with the two sides only separated by goals scored, there is no doubting its potential significance.
For that reason, the 1-0 win over Burnley that sent Manchester City top actually offered Arsenal some encouragement. Mikel Arteta's side also need to win, above all. But that alone might not be enough. Tuesday's result could have been much worse for them.
Guardiola pointed out that improving goal difference is not solely an attacking endeavour. "It is to score and not concede, not just one side," he said to Sky Sports. For Arsenal, though, there is no doubt where the bigger question marks lie.
Can they raise their game in attack?
Arteta might point out they have only scored three goals fewer than Manchester City. It is hardly a yawning gap, thanks in part to their far superior return from set-pieces. Arsenal have scored a Premier League-high 21 non-penalty set-piece goals to City's eight.
Arteta will hope that set-piece supply line reopens in the weeks ahead following a run of only one set-piece goal in four Premier League games since they scored twice from corners in their win over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium at the start of March.
But the bigger margin for improvement lies in open play and, on that front, he can feel encouraged by his side's efforts at the Etihad Stadium, despite the result. Arsenal generated a higher total of open-play expected goals than City at 1.32 to 0.98.
Kai Havertz spurned their best chances to make it count, seeing a one-on-one chance saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma then heading agonisingly over the bar from Leandro Trossard's cross in stoppage time having earlier scored his side's equaliser.
But his return as Arsenal's No 9 was a major factor in their improvement. Havertz excelled as a focal point, holding the ball up, helping to bring Arsenal up the pitch and linking the play, all while providing a considerable threat in the Manchester City box, even if, by the end, he should have scored more than once.
His total of five shots in the game was the highest by an opposition striker at the Etihad Stadium all season.
It was only Havertz's second Premier League start up front of the season and it coincided with the return of another player who has experienced an injury-hit campaign for Arsenal.
Martin Odegaard created more chances than anyone else in the game. His inclusion alongside, rather than instead of, Eberechi Eze helped transform Arsenal's technical level in attack.
The club must do all they can to keep those players fit for their final five Premier League fixtures, along with Bukayo Saka, who, according to Arteta, is ready to follow Havertz and Odegaard in returning from injury in Saturday's game against Newcastle, live on Sky Sports.
Remarkably, Havertz, Odegaard and Saka have not started a Premier League game together since the 5-1 win over Crystal Palace in December 2024, nearly a year and a half ago.
Go back to Havertz's arrival from Chelsea at the start of the season before that and the side's record with and without all three players highlights their collective importance, particularly in open play.
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