In the Wake of Havertz’s Injury, How’s Arsenal’s Attack Shaping Up?

Arguably, one of the most pivotal moments of the summer transfer window was Kai Havertz picking up an injury and requiring surgery. Most pivotal for Tottenham Hotspur, that is. By all accounts, Spurs had everything agreed with coveted Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze, but then Arsenal renewed their interest.

While early admirers of Eze, Mikel Arteta looked happy with his options until the versatile German went down again. So, the Gunners swept in with a £67.5 million bid, per The Guardian, to bring the Arsenal fan to the Emirates Stadium. Very much an established star, fans can hope for a goals boost from Eze.

That has ultimately been the name of the game this summer. The Arsenal higher-ups have worked to bring more goals to the team, be it in the form of direct goal scorers, facilitators, or players who can work to allow others to attack. So, how does Eze’s arrival and the arrival of the other new Gunners impact the team’s scoring potential?

A strong summer but a slow start to 2025/26

Arsenal ticked just about every box that onlookers thought they needed to in order to get over that final hurdle and win outright. Martín Zubimendi reinforces the defensive side of midfield. Viktor Gyökeres is the striker they have cried out for over the last few years, and Eberechi Eze adds yet another creative weapon.

Further reinforcements bolstered the defensive corps, added another secondary goalie to David Raya, supplied a superbly exciting winger from Chelsea, and added a hefty presence with Christian Nørgaard. It was a stellar window for the Gunners, but a particularly gruesome opening slate of fixtures has facilitated a slower start.

The 1-0 win over Manchester United was greatly seen as the Red Devils putting in a good show despite the loss. After that, newcomers Leeds United were put in their place to the tune of a 5-0 drubbing at the Emirates. To end the opening slate, however, a thunderbolt free-kick proved to be the decider in a 1-0 loss at Anfield.

As is relayed by Opta Analyst, it was a very close game. Liverpool and Arsenal as good as cancelled each other out. Even without Bukayo Saka, with Martin Ødegaard on the bench, and William Saliba walking off after five minutes, Arsenal looked the better team in the first half and ended with more shots and a higher xG.

Something worth noting, however, has been the goal distribution so far. Still only three games in, three of Arsenal’s five goals have been scored by defenders, two have come via Gyökeres’ boot, and another from Saka. The Gunners have also been kept from scoring once, although admittedly by the reigning champions at home.

Goals are inevitable for Arsenal

Arsenal are in a far better place this season than they were last season, even with the high-profile injuries. Now, when a big name goes down, Arteta has the resources to plug the gap for weeks if necessary. Plus, the players purchased are either very experienced at a high level.

It is this squad depth and the precision in the transfer market that have allowed Arsenal to close the gap substantially on Liverpool, despite the loss at Anfield. The odds at BetMGM UK relay this, with Arsenal now 15/8 second favourites to win the league, narrowly behind Liverpool’s odds of 6/5. Even the oddsmakers are split.

For goals specifically, on paper, the three new outfield players combined for 20 goals and 16 assists in the league alone. The new striker amassed 54 goals in 52 games and is now very much in his prime at 27 years old. Of course, one of these, Eze, was a more reactionary buy.

Havertz going down takes away a versatile forward who is a threat in the air and a constant handful for defences. For Arsenal, he has averaged 0.33 goals per game over 88 appearances or 0.48 goal contributions per game. Eze comes in as a very different archetype. Not only is he a set-piece maestro, but he plays a bit deeper.

Arsenal can expect Eze to pick up the ball, get around a defender or work the space for a key pass, or fire in from outside the box. He is not an aerial threat, and he will not distort the backline with his movement, but he will feed a central striker like Gyökeres.

Another key addition to the attack, but much more passively, is Zubimendi. A talented passer, his biggest asset to this Arsenal starting XI is how well he naturally defends, cuts out passes, and is willing to anchor towards the backline. His defensive attributes should allow Declan Rice to venture forth more as the two get more familiar.

Arteta’s system has not changed, and he has added the right players to bolster the team’s attacking threat. The goals will come, and quite possibly power the Gunners to the top of the league.

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