Arsenal’s finishing needs to improve if this is to be a successful season

Sun 12 September 2021 21:45, UK

Arsenal’s finishing has to improve.

The Gunners have got their first points of the season thanks to a 1-0 win over Norwich.

However, the result should have been a much more emphatic one.

Despite racking up 30 shots, Arsenal could only muster a single goal, courtesy of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Even that goal from Aubameyang came at the end of a move that saw Nicolas Pepe hit both posts.

That’s where the problem lies for the Gunners – finishing.

In Aubameyang, Pepe and Alexandre Lacazette, Arsenal should have more than enough firepower to consistently score goals.

Last season saw the trio chip in with 33 Premier League goals between them ().

However, no one at Arsenal has looked sharp in front of goal in the Premier League.

Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith-Rowe and Martin Odegaard all missed chances against Norwich and on another day that could be costly.

The Gunners have a very good chance of finishing in the European places.

With no European football to worry about, their schedule will stay fairly clear and allow the players to stay fresh.

That will provide a boost for Arteta, but that boost will be thoroughly wasted if his side requires 30 shots to score a single goal.

In the Carabao Cup Arsenal managed to put six goals past West Brom from just 14 attempts.

That’s much more like it, but it needs to become the norm in the Premier League.

The next four league games Arsenal face are trips to Burnley and Brighton and home games against Tottenham and Crystal Palace.

Those fixtures are much easier than their opening four which included games vs Man City and Chelsea.

These games give Arsenal an opportunity to start finishing more clinically, something which has to happen for this season be successful.

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