5 Arsenal players still waiting for their first goal

Arsenal find themselves on a strong run of form, with results that are being determined by the tightest of margins. Even if it’s a dominating performance, the odd goal is proving decisive.

Five of their last six wins in the Premier League have been by a single goal, with a handful of players tending to provide the crucial moment. Bukayo Saka turned up with the goods against Aston Villa last time out, a responsibility he’s reveling in.

He and Emile Smith Rowe now share the top goalscoring mantle with nine apiece in the league, a remarkable statistic that is even more exceptional in the context of the division.

They lead the way for goal involvements from players aged 21 or under, ahead of incredible talent like Phil Foden.

Arsenal: 5 players still waiting for their first goal this season with Mikel Arteta’s side having just ten Premier League matches left to play

Gabriel Martinelli features on that shortlist too, with the trio the three main sources of goals in the team along with Martin Odegaard. As four of the Gunners’ five main forward options, this is both reassuring as well as necessary. Lacazette isn’t prolific, but he’s second in the list for goals and assists combined.

In time there will be others to step up to the plate, including the elusive new centre-forward who will transform the outlook of the team, while across the squad there are some players still eyeing their own contributions this term.

Sharing goals out among a team, especially in one where the No. 9 is anything but prolific, is crucial. Manchester City and Chelsea do so, while Liverpool have otherworldly forward talent who can fly the flag on their own.

With ten matches left to play in the Premier League this season, there are five Arsenal men waiting to break their duck.

1. Takehiro Tomiyasu

It would help if he was fit, first of all.

Secondly, is his place in the team as certain as we might have thought? Mikel Arteta has (sometimes) shown himself to be a man of meritocracy, with Kieran Tierney’s spell out of the side earlier in the season through injury proving that opportunities are there for other players to stake a claim.

Cedric is still guilty of moments of madness, but he’s been consistently performing in Takehiro Tomiyasu’s absence and you could argue that it’s now his place to lose.

That’s not for certain, of course, as Tomi adds qualities to this side that his teammate can’t afford, but in terms of who has the greater goal threat you’d say Cedric is just in front.

It remains that the closest the summer signing has come to scoring was way back on his Premier League debut when he struck a volley against Norwich that flew just over the bar. Being the incredibly likeable man he is, if and when he does break his Gunners duck we can expect some wonderful celebrations from the rest of the team.

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2. Albert Sambi Lokonga

It’s going to be a big ask for the Belgian to get in on the act this season solely because minutes are at a premium for him.

Given a few different roles in the team since his arrival, with a more set No. 6 role as well as operating as a freer No. 8, him not getting his first Arsenal goal hasn’t been for want of trying.

So far he’s taken 16 shots in the Premier League, six of those being on target, although there have been a few efforts in the league and in cup competitions that are somewhat reminiscent of a certain midfield teammate of his. Long range accuracy hasn’t been his closest companion.

When he does notch his first goal it will probably be one he puts his laces through. His shooting tends to be driven, often low and hard, or at least aims to be, and less of the bending efforts that Partey is trying to master.

With Arsenal out of the cups and boasting a starting XI that is set in stone, it might be that Sambi will have to bide his time until next season.

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3. Nuno Tavares

While he technically has scored, on his debut no less, it was a non-competitive fixture and therefore we aren’t counting it. Still, it was a well taken effort on his supposed wrong foot, one he claimed upon his arrival that he likes to shoot with.

But if you thought that Sambi’s shooting was touch on the loose side, Nuno’s efforts this season might make you revise that.

The standout game – one that since Arsenal won can be looked back on in a different light – is the 2-0 home win over Newcastle. It was a match that Nuno was heavily involved in, and one where he was clearly enjoying his football. Given the freedom to make those charging runs infield and swap positions with players across the pitch, he fired in no fewer than six shots in the game.

None of them were on target.

Having failed hopelessly with a few efforts on his left peg, most would have called it a day there and started trying to set goals up instead, or just defending. Not Nuno. His thought process was that if he couldn’t score with his left he should just use his right instead. It was the same outcome.

In total he’s had 14 shots in the Premier League and hit the target just once for a total xG of just 0.6. You get the feeling that one day, eventually, one is just going to fizz right into the top corner. Or, a la Partey, it’ll be a scrappy one that goes in off his shoulder.

One or the other.

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4. Benjamin White

Benjamin White will feel slightly hard done by. Were it not for a very minor deflection at Villa Park he would have notched his first assist for the club, as his poke of the ball touched off one other player before Bukayo Saka lashed it home past Martinez.

He’s also still waiting for his first goal.

Playing the most minutes of any player in the squad, while it’s not his job to score, nor will he be especially bothered about it so long as he’s keeping clean sheets and winning football matches, he’s probably due one soon enough.

After all, he does go up for every corner and set piece, all the while his central defensive partner Gabriel has shown a keen eye for goal during this time at the club with three this season and six overall in 60 outings.

White has come relatively close, too. In the Premier League he’s had three shots on target from 12 efforts, with the defender demonstrating some clever movement in phases two and three of set pieces as he peels off into space judging off the flight of the ball.

Never one to hide his elation when a teammate scores, when he breaks his duck we can expect some pretty wild celebrations. How long will we have to wait? Well, he’s only scored three in his career (all coming in different divisions), one that spans 194 games, so maybe a little while longer.

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5. Granit Xhaka

Granit Xhaka has scored for Arsenal previously so he is somewhat exempt from this list, but as someone who is in the team every week and has 13 goals to his name during his time at the club, given he is yet to get off the mark this season he gets included.

In each of the previous two seasons Xhaka has notched his token goal. In 2019/20 he scored against Norwich at home, while in 2020/21 it was that memorable free-kick against Chelsea on Boxing Day.

So far, no luck.

It’s quite interesting, too, that the closer he is to goal the fewer shots he’s taking. Discounting the last two campaigns (because they were rubbish) Xhaka is averaging 0.93 shots p/90 in the league compared to over 1.00 in each of his three first seasons. In 2017/18 he was up at 1.83 p/90.

He is older now, of course, and the long range pile drivers may now be a thing of the past. It would seem so anyway, since his remit is now about retaining possession high up the pitch, pressing from the front and being an option off the ball more so than an option on it.

But he’s due a lucky bounce here or there. As an advanced No. 8 it would be peculiar for him not to have at least one or two presentable opportunities across the final ten games, even if he is far from the traditional mould of No. 8 who is going to be doing one touch moves and bursting into the box.

His token goal will surely come.