Pitch Picks
EPL YTD Record —— 44-34-1 (+18.2 Units)
Arsenal v Burnley
Arsenal joined neighbors Tottenham in seeing their unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign end on Matchday 11, and despite Arsenal only being three points adrift of Manchester City at the Premier League summit, they have not exactly hit their stride in 2023-24. Excluding penalties, Arsenal ranks 11th for expected goals (xG) in the competition so far, with their total of 14.8 equating to an average of 1.35 per game. Last season, the Gunners ranked third in the table with an average xG of 1.84 per match, and a large part of this decline in attacking form has to do with the style Arteta is choosing to employ. In possession, Arsenal is methodical and controlled, using their ball possession as a defacto defensive weapon. To date, it has worked incredibly well at doing what it intended to do, and while the attack has regressed, the defense has become smothering.
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