How Arsenal's lack of attacking leaders has harmed Mikel Arteta's Premier League title charge

Recent Premier League champions, Liverpool and Manchester City, are clear examples of the importance of having at least one player capable of leading a team’s attacking play.

The 2–2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers was one of Arsenal’s major setbacks this season and significantly complicated the team’s ambition to win the 2025-26 Premier League title. The match at Molineux Stadium, along with recent slip-ups by Mikel Arteta and his squad, highlighted how the absence of true attacking protagonists has been detrimental to the North London club.

The Manchester City side that won the English title between 2020-21 and 2023-24 always featured standout attackers or attacking midfielders in their title-winning campaigns. Kevin De Bruyne (with 34 goal involvements in 45 matches in 2021-22) and Erling Haaland (who recorded 38 goals and seven assists in 45 games in 2023-24) were among the team’s key figures in those triumphs.

The current Premier League holders, Liverpool in 2025-26, have been led on the pitch by Mohamed Salah. Known for decisive performances, the Egyptian has tallied 34 goals and 23 assists in 52 appearances.

Looking at Arsenal, however, the players in the attacking department who could take responsibility during matches have not achieved the same level of success as the examples mentioned above.

From veterans to new signings: Arsenal’s attack has issues

Bukayo Saka is one of the Gunners’ captains but has yet to reach the level of influence he is capable of in this cycle.

The English winger scored against Wolverhampton, bringing his tally to just five goals and five assists in 23 Premier League matches — numbers well below expectations. He has also struggled to maintain consistency amid injury problems.

Fan complaints are similar regarding Martin Odegaard, the team’s primary captain. Critics argue that the attacking midfielder does not pose enough of a threat to opponents, is predictable, and does not fully exercise the leadership symbolized by the captain’s armband.

The Norwegian has dealt with occasional physical issues and, when available, has not stood out. He has played 26 of the team’s 42 matches this season, contributing one goal and six assists. Responsible for orchestrating the team’s attacking moves, he has delivered frustrating performances.

An alternative to Odegaard would be Eberechi Eze, but the signing brought in August 2025 went 15 of his 34 appearances for the Gunners without contributing a goal or assist.

In the Premier League, his last goal involvement came on November 23, 2025, in the hat-trick victory over rivals Tottenham. There was hope that his strong performance against Wigan in the FA Cup on Sunday (15) would earn him a starting spot against Wolverhampton, but that did not materialize. He came on only in the 70th minute and was unable to prevent the unfavourable result.

Viktor Gyokeres is another recent addition to Arsenal’s attack who has struggled to make a bigger impact. Although he has recorded 15 direct goal involvements in 35 matches this season, the Swedish forward has been inconsistent, giving Arteta headaches when selecting his starting XI.

The coach even experimented with a formation featuring Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus together up front against Wigan in an attempt to find solutions. There is still no clear first-choice centre-forward.

Interestingly, Arsenal’s issue regarding attacking protagonists has also yielded some positives, such as the emergence of Mikel Merino as a surprise “goalscorer” and making it harder for opponents to focus their marking on just one main striker.

However, in a Premier League title race, having a player who can assume responsibility, provide an outlet in difficult moments, deliver precise passes, break defensive lines, or finish chances effectively makes all the difference.

Five points separate Arsenal and Manchester City in the league table. While City have three players among the league’s top goal and assist rankings — Haaland, Semenyo, and Cherki — Arsenal’s standout performer statistically has been goalkeeper David Raya, who has recorded 13 clean sheets.

Arteta’s mission is to translate the team’s defensive consistency into attacking efficiency to avoid their biggest setback of 2025-26: losing the long-awaited English trophy after spending so many rounds at the top of the table.

> This article was initially published on Trivela