The stats that SHAME Arsenal: Where it is all going wrong for Mikel Arteta's side

Sunday proved to be another horror night for Arsenal as bitter rivals Tottenham showed just how big the gap in the north London is right now.

Mikel Arteta's men suffered a devastating 2-0 defeat as fans were permitted into the South Stand of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time since lockdown started in March.

The result highlighted fundamental flaws in Arsenal's approach and to add to the club's misery, defeat leaves them in 15th place with just 13 points from 11 games while rivals Tottenham top the Premier League table with a total of 24 points.

Having lost six games in the 2020-21 season so far, the blame has fallen at the feet of their manager as many continue to question Arteta's tactics and ability to turn the tide.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's agent even criticised Arteta's attacking formation for the striker's lack of goals this season.

So as a result, Sportsmail has rounded up some of the statistics that shame Arsenal following another dismal night of action.

CROSSING

In the wake of their 2-0 defeat to bitter rivals Tottenham, Arsenal have come under fire for persistently crossing the ball into the box from wide areas.

Arteta's men made 32 open play crosses during the North London derby, but Spurs emerged unscathed in each instance.

Such statistics marry that of Arsenal's recent defeat by Wolves as the Gunners delivered 33 crossed from out wide and returned zero goals.

For both Arsenal and Arteta, it's becoming an endless game of hit and hope...and it's safe to say it's not paying off!

Speaking after the Wolves game, Arteta tried to create a positive spin on Arsenal's aimless crossing. He said: I think it's the first time in the Premier League that we put 33 crosses in.

'I'm telling you that if we do that more consistently, we are going to score more goals. If we put the bodies we had in certain moments in the box, it's maths, pure maths and it will happen'.

However, the Derby defeat has done nothing but prove Arteta's math doesn't quite add up.

Arsenal have accumulated the third highest number of crosses by a team in a Premier League game this season - but have only managed to score 10 goals.

The statistics can be seen as a sign of desperation - indicative of a team that is unable to dismantle a defence through intelligent patterns of play and has subsequently resorted to firing balls into the box.

In addition, it leads us to question Arsenal's ability to finish in front of goal after returning just one goal from a total of 65 crosses against Spurs and Wolves.

SHOOTING

Arsenal's inability to not only create worthwhile chances but to finish them is a significant reason for concern.

Arsenal have scored just 10 goals this season. Only Burnley, West Brom and Sheffield United have scored fewer goals, and they sit in the relegation zone.

Arteta had hoped the combination of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe would create a ferocious frontline. However, his star strikers have failed to live up to expectations.

On average Arsenal create 9.5 shots per game - that is the joint-fourth-lowest in the top-flight with only Crystal Palace (9.4), Burnley (9.2) and Newcastle (8.5) averaging fewer shots per game.

Arsenal fall victim to the same fate when it comes to hitting the target, managing an average of just 3.1 shot on target this season.

PASSING AND POSSESSION

Since Arteta's arrival, Arsenal have seen improvements in the their passing and possession.

Compared to Unai Emery's Arsenal side, there are clear patterns of play that are being deployed.

Despite his poor performance against Spurs, Granit Xhaka has been effective in dropping between the left-back and centre-back to establish a back four.

While Bukoya Saka and Ainsley Maitland-Niles have adopted the roles of an inverted wing-back to help maximise the skillsets of their teammates in other, more offensive positions.

The structures developed under Arteta have given Arsenal more balance - although their attacking in the final third must improve.

As a result, Arsenal have completed 85 per cent of their passes accurately over the season - positioning them fourth in the Premier League for such a statistic.

DEFENCE

Arteta has been accused of sacrificing Arsenal's attacking flair for defensive stability this season.

Arteta brought in several players to bolster his defence during the summer transfer window - including Gabriel and defensive midfielder Thomas Partey.

As a result, Arsenal have the fourth-best defensive record in the Premier League with 14 goals conceded in 11 games. However, they have only scored a total of 10 goals themselves.

At a glance Arsenal's defensive record seems to have improved since Arteta's arrival. They conceded 0.8 goals per game in Arteta’s opening 15 games after he was appointed compared to Emery's 1.45 per match.

Emery's side also allowed 14.1 shots per game during his time as manager, whereas Arteta’s team have only allowed 11.8 shots per game this season.

However, if you deep dive into the managers two statistics it shows that Premier League oppositions are more likely to score against Arteta’s current side than Emery's.

Opponents were likely to score 9.8 per cent of their chances against Emery's Arsenal side. Whereas, those facing Arteta's Arsenal side are likely to score 10.8 per cent of their chances.

Meaning, Arsenal rivals actually require fewer chances to score against Arteta’s team than Emery’s team.