At a Glance:
- Arsenal were beaten by Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon at the Emirates.
- The Gunners were without key personnel for the visit of the Cherries.
- Certain players who missed the match are essential to Arsenal, data has revealed.
Arsenal slumped to a dire defeat at home to Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon, and fans are subsequently questioning Mikel Arteta’s inherent pragmatism.
The Gunners were beaten by a dogged Cherries side, with goals from Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott cancelling out Viktor Gyokeres’ penalty. This bleak result coincided with Manchester City overcoming Chelsea on Sunday afternoon, leaving the North Londoners just six points clear of the Citizens ahead of next weekend’s showdown at the Etihad.
Arteta has faced the brunt of the criticism levelled at Arsenal since this defeat, with many lamenting his conservative tactics and stringent risk-aversion. However, the data shows that some of the Gunners’ issues are actually merely down to the absence of key personnel.
Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka are essential to Arsenal’s attack
Arsenal have been without both Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard for much of this season. The England international has had three separate spells on the sidelines, while the Norwegian has persistently struggled with various shoulder and knee problems.
Saka has started just 22 of Arsenal’s 32 league games, while Odegaard has managed just 13 league starts all campaign. At their best, the duo formed the most deadly partnership in Arsenal’s attack, with their ability to combine to create chances essential to Arteta’s frontline functioning effectively.
Thus, it’s probably been overlooked just how much Arsenal have missed the dynamic duo, and data has now emerged that backs this up.
According to Opta, Saka and Odegaard both rank in the top seven for open play expected assists per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season.
Saka and Odegaard are both in the top 7 players in the league for open play expected assists per 90
— Rory Talks Football (@Rory_Talks_Ball) April 12, 2026
I know their form hasn’t been great, but their return is crucial to us creating more chances pic.twitter.com/bsx4TYDimd
Behind the likes of Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doky and Bruno Fernandes, Saka ranks sixth and Odegaard seventh. That means only five players create a greater volume and quality of chances for their teammates than the two Arsenal stars.
It’s therefore not that surprising that the Gunners’ attack hasn’t been free-flowing when the two players haven’t been available, and it’s certainly not a surprise that it struggled against Bournemouth on Saturday.
Arsenal need to carefully manage Saka and Odegaard
While it’s clear from the numbers that Saka and Odegaard are essential to Arsenal, Arteta cannot afford to rush both of them back into the side and overburden them with minutes.
The pair have struggled significantly with their fitness over the last 18 months. They cannot deal with the load of playing intense matches every three days, and thus, the Spanish manager has to be cautious when reintegrating them.
| Progressive Passes per 90 leaders in the Premier League 2024/25 (5+ 90s only) | |
| Martin Odegaard | 9.72 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | 9.46 |
| Adam Wharton | 8.84 |
| Bruno Fernandes | 8.69 |
| Trent Alexander-Arnold | 8.24 |
| James Maddison | 8.19 |
Their minutes for the rest of the season should be carefully mapped out, with their involvement in the biggest games prioritised.
This is the only way Arsenal are going to overcome their offensive issues, and Arteta simply has to get it right.
