The Chaos Arsenal Needed at Elland Road

LEEDS, FRIDAY — Arsenal's current position at the top of the English Premier League standings is indeed due to the low-risk strategy of manager Mikel Arteta. However, ahead of their visit to Leeds United's home ground, Elland Road, Arsenal must momentarily set aside this approach in order to end their streak of winless results.

Arsenal will visit Elland Road, Leeds, on Saturday (31/1/2026) at 22:00 WIB, following a trend of three consecutive winless matches in the league. They need full points if they do not want to lose momentum in the title race. Currently, "The Gunners" (50 points) are only four points ahead of their closest competitor, Manchester City.

To secure a victory, the visiting team must first address the issues from the last three matches. Arsenal has only managed to score two goals during that series of games. All of those goals were even scored while they were defeated by Manchester United 2-3 last week. Bukayo Saka and his teammates are currently experiencing a crisis on the offensive side.

In fact, according to Statmuse, Arsenal managed to record a score of 3.99 xG (expected goals) in three matches. That's not too bad; it should be enough to produce four goals. However, a bigger problem emerged on the pitch. They appeared to lack creativity, generating only 1.11 xG from open play.

As a result, Arteta's team almost solely relied on set-piece schemes to create goals. It was evident that the two goals scored against MU did not come from open play, but rather through a corner kick scheme and an own goal by the opposing player. The dependence on set pieces has begun to have a negative impact on "The Gunners."

Patrick Vieira, who led Arsenal to their last league title in the 2003-04 season, said Arteta needs to be more willing to take risks. "They have quality, but they don't play with the freedom to express themselves. They need to go back to the basics, play with freedom and attack," he said on Sky Sports.

There is no need for a former great player like Vieira to see how cautious Arsenal is. They often pass up attacking opportunities in favor of controlling the game. They prefer to attack from the wings, hoping to earn set pieces. The risk of losing the ball through wing attacks is lower compared to that from the central area.

Arteta's system this season has proven to be ineffective in maximizing the best potential of Arsenal's attackers. Not a single player has managed to score more than five goals in the league after 23 weeks. The star player, Saka, has not contributed any goals in 13 matches across all competitions.

In fact, Arteta's approach is not forbidden. However, the manager is urged to change because the strategy has often failed recently. They resemble a toothless tiger when unable to capitalize on set pieces. Instead of a neat system, Arsenal needs a random attacking pattern that can disrupt the opponent's defense.

Coincidentally, the solution arrived at the right time. Arsenal can once again be reinforced by defender Riccardo Calafiori and forward Kai Havertz, who are now fit. They are two of the most influential players in revitalizing the "Gunners" attack. Both players can play in multiple positions simultaneously and are given the freedom to move.

The influence of Havertz, after not being a starter for 357 days due to injury, was immediately evident in the last match of the Champions League group stage against Kairat Almaty. Havertz contributed one goal and one assist, as well as creating two chances in just 45 minutes of play. He was named the best player in Arsenal's 3-2 victory.

Havertz replaced Martin Odegaard as an attacking midfielder in the 4-2-3-1 formation. Interestingly, he often assists striker Viktor Gyokeres, giving the team the appearance of having two strikers simultaneously. Havertz is more active in seeking open space in the opponent's final third, in contrast to Odegaard, who frequently drops back to the midfield.

"For a player who has been absent for a long time to perform so impactfully, with such energy and efficiency, is very impressive. We know Kai, how much he can offer us in various positions, roles, and contexts. He is a player who makes us significantly better," said Arteta.

The opponent of Arsenal is indeed just a team from Kazakhstan, not comparable to English teams. Nevertheless, Havertz's influence was truly evident when he was substituted immediately after halftime. Arsenal struggled to create opportunities and was unable to add any more goals in the second half while the attack was orchestrated by Odegaard.

The player who benefited the most from Havertz's presence is Gyokeres. The striker received more supply and was able to create one goal and one assist. Gyokeres made three shots on target in the match against Kairat. This number is his highest record in a single match since donning the Arsenal jersey.