Arsenal’s goal drought might come down to one missing name fans forgot

After maintaining their perfect Champions League record, Arsenal now aim to get back to winning ways in the Premier League. On Tuesday, the Gunners beat Internazionale 3-1 at San Siro, with Gabriel Jesus bagging a first-half brace, before Viktor Gyökeres curled home a clincher late on.

This maintains Arsenal's position at the top of the Champions League table, having won seven out of seven thus far. Mikel Arteta's team have claimed statement victories over Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich and now Inter. They conclude the league phase against Kairat next Wednesday, and then do not have to concern themselves with the competition until the round of 16 on 10/11 March.

In the Premier League, Arsenal are sitting pretty, seven points clear at the top, but the zeitgeist is one of nervousness. The Gunners have endured back-to-back 0-0 draws with Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, squandering the opportunity to go nine or perhaps even 11 points clear of Manchester City.

This is the first time since the first two matches of the 2012/13 season, against Sunderland and Stoke, that Arsenal have suffered back-to-back league goalless draws. They have not had three in a row since a sequence of four scoreless games against West Ham, Spurs, Sunderland and Fulham in February 2009.

Well, Arteta's team will be seeking to get back to winning ways when Michael Carrick's rejuvenated Manchester United visit North London on Sunday. While there has been a lot of focus on their forward players, are Arsenal truly missing an under-the-radar absentee?

The unoticed factor behind Arsenal's goal-scoring issue

Plenty of spotlight has been shone on Arsenal's attacking players, none more so than Viktor Gyökeres. The Swede had been enduring something of a goal drought before netting against Chelsea in the EFL Cup, before bagging his ninth of the campaign at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

However, is Riccardo Calafiori's absence an under-discussed aspect behind the goals drying up? The Italian international suffered a muscle injury during the warm-up ahead of the Brighton game on 27 December, thereby sitting out the last eight matches.

Arsenal's stats with & without Riccardo Calafiori this season

The numbers suggest there isn't much of a difference between when Calafiori does and does not play, albeit Arsenal keep a far higher number of clean sheets with the Italian part of the backline.

Nevertheless, the eye test tells you something different. When Jurriën Timber has filled in recently, Arteta's team has suffered from not having a left-footed at left-back, with Piero Hincapié also currently sidelined. Also, Calafiori brings something of a maverick energy that this team lacks, popping up in positions the opposition don't expect, as well as bursting forward from defence.

So, while the Italian is unlikely to be back in time to face Manchester United on Sunday, his return cannot come quickly enough.