The issue of Arsenal attackers misfiring! How will Arteta fix it?

 Arsenal's technical issues and how Kai Havertz can help fix misfiring attack against Man City.

Arsenal's mentality and Mikel Arteta's tactics have come under scrutiny but there are technical reasons for their attacking struggles too.

Image:  How does Mikel Arteta solve Arsenal's attacking issues?

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:

Arsenal's technical issue

Arsenal's first-leg lead against Sporting allowed them to fall back on their defence in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg. Having shown vulnerability in recent games, a return to some characteristic solidity helped them into the last four.

Mikel Arteta will hope to see the same defensive stinginess against Manchester City on Sunday. But Arsenal's performance against Sporting was also a reminder of the room for improvement at the other end of the pitch. Their attack continues to misfire.

How can Arteta change it? Maybe he doesn't need to. They have a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League. The onus is on City to win the game. But against an opponent of their quality, it is hard to see a positive outcome if offensive solutions can't be found.

Arteta's approach has become the subject of intense scrutiny. Has a perceived aversion to risk come at the cost of fluency and flair on the ball? Has open-play chance creation been neglected in favour of set-pieces? Do Arsenal rely on their defence too readily?

Personnel is another important factor. Injuries continue to limit Arteta's options, with Bukayo Saka ruled out of Sunday's game and Martin Odegaard among those doubtful. But the need for changes in forward areas only became clearer against Sporting.