Arsenal 3-0 Lille: Damning scoring stat emerges despite Champions League win as Mikel Arteta faces serious attacking problem

Arsenal have now failed to score in the first half of any of their last five games in either the Premier League or Champions League.

The Gunners returned to European action on Tuesday, emerging as 3-0 winners against Ligue 1 club Lille thanks to goals from Jurrien Timber, Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka.

Mikel Arteta will be delighted that his side now have six points from six in the Champions League, but he will rightly be concerned about his team in the final third.

The Londoners scored all three goals in the span of seven minutes after the hour mark, but they failed to create any meaningful opportunities in the first half.

Arsenal have now failed to score before the half-time interval in any of their last five games in the Champions League and the Premier League, encompassing matches against Napoli, Sunderland, Brighton & Hove Albion, Leeds United and Lille.

Arsenal haven't scored a first-half goal in any of their last five games in the Premier League or Champions League. Their last goal before the break was against Chelsea on 6 September. https://t.co/ZfScceDs6u
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) October 13, 2026

Arsenal beat Lille: Why are Mikel Arteta's players struggling in attack?

The Premier League champions may have enjoyed a fruitful opening to the current campaign, but it would be fair to say that they have been less than dominant considering they have either won by a single goal or failed to come out on top in 17 of their last 24 matches.

Arsenal have shown that they have the defensive resilience to claim victory in tight contests, though their backline has often been let down by the attackers ahead of them.

Strikers Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres have both struggled for consistency, while the likes of Saka and Noni Madueke have struggled creatively.

The Gunners have also been less potent from set pieces, failing to score from any dead-ball situation in the league so far, and they may have to address that weakness if they are to win silverware by the end of the season.

Can Arsenal win the Champions League this season?

Arsenal reached the final of last season's Champions League despite the club only netting six times in the six knockout games before they lost on penalties against Paris Saint-Germain in May.

It is difficult to see Arteta's side squandering a lead in a knockout tie given their defensive nous, though they could struggle if they are forced to play more expansively and overturn a deficit.

European football is notoriously unpredictable, so it remains to be seen if Arsenal will be able to rely upon their backline throughout the entire tournament.