Arsenal's attacking problem this season is not one of territory, control or effort. It is a finishing issue, and a comparison between Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke helps explain why the goals are not coming from wide areas.
Saka remains Arsenal's most relied-upon forward. He has played almost three times as many minutes as Madueke in the Premier League, starting 17 games and continuing to shoulder much of the creative responsibility on the right.
![Attacking stats between Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke Premier League 2025-26 | Goals Saka - 0.2 Madueke - 0 xG Saka - 0.3 Madueke - 0.1 Big chances Saka - 0.5 Madueke - 0.3 Total shots [incl. blocks] Saka - 2.9 Madueke - 1.7 Shots on target Saka - 1.2 Madueke - 0.5 Chances created [incl. assists] Saka - 2.5 Madueke - 2 Touches in opposition box Saka - 7 Madueke - 10 Source: Opta](https://media.zenfs.com/en/bbc_us_articles_995/4d0e95cca53d4ded1319d5a9ab77e09c)
The underlying numbers suggest his role has not fundamentally changed. He is still shooting regularly, averaging 2.9 attempts per 90, still getting into dangerous areas and still posting healthy expected figures of 0.3 expected goals (xG) and 0.3 expected assists (xA) per 90.
What has changed is the outcome. Saka has not scored in his past 13 appearances in all competitions, and while his expected numbers point to involvement rather than absence, his goals per 90 (0.2) underline the gap between chance creation and conversion.
He is hitting the target more often than Madueke and continues to create more chances overall, but the decisive moments are not being turned into goals.
Madueke's profile is different but leads to the same conclusion. His minutes have been disrupted by injury, and his output reflects that lack of rhythm. He has yet to score in the league and averages fewer shots and shots on target per 90 than Saka.
Yet his attacking involvement inside the box is notable. Madueke averages 10 touches in the opposition area per 90, compared to Saka's seven, and attempts more take-ons, succeeding with them at a higher rate.
The issue is what happens after the carry. Madueke's expected goals and assists remain low, his final pass is inconsistent, and his shot volume is not high enough to compensate. He is arriving in promising positions but failing to turn them into end product, a theme that runs through Arsenal's forward line this season.
That broader context matters. Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyokeres and Leandro Trossard are all enduring prolonged goal droughts, leaving Arsenal overly dependent on set-pieces for scoring [xG from set-plays was 0.8 and xG from open play was 0.39 against Manchester United].
The data around Saka and Madueke reinforces that picture. Arsenal's right wingers are still progressing the ball, still pressing, still contributing defensively and still generating pressure in advanced areas. Both average similar numbers for touches and high pressures per 90, underlining their work off the ball.
What is missing is not effort or structure, but ruthlessness. Saka's numbers suggest he should have more goals. Madueke's suggest he needs more volume and sharper final actions.
Until that changes, Arsenal could continue to look like a team that does much right in possession but struggles to finish the job in open play – a flaw that statistics are now consistently exposing.
