Arsenal: 9 stats you need to know this season

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What can be learnt from the first half of Arsenal’s season?

1) Heading into 2015, Arsenal sit in fifth place with 33 points, but have already drawn six games – when they drew seven in entirety of last season. That’s a little concerning, but they are on the fringes of a top four place, which will ultimately be the target for the season after a shaky start to the campaign.

2) Arsenal were often linked with signing a new striker in the summer, but the arrival of Danny Welbeck hasn’t really helped the Gunners in front of goal.

This season, Arsenal sit top of the table when it comes to big chances missed, clear of Manchester, Southampton, Manchester United and Tottenham. If Arsene Wenger’s men are to secure a top four place, they need to be more clinical in front of goal in 2015.

3) Despite missing so many chances, Arsenal also lead the way when it comes to goals scored from midfielders in the 2014/15 season.

Helped handsomely by Alexis Sanchez’s 10 goals, the Gunners are getting contributions from outside of their centre forwards – and that’s something that will please Wenger

4) With so many goals from midfield, it’s helped Arsenal become one of the top scoring sides in the Premier League, with only Chelsea and Manchester City having scored more.

5) Arsenal have a reputation for keeping the ball on the deck and passing the ball to score goals and win games, but this season, the Gunners have been a little more direct.

Arsenal are third in total crosses this season, and are placed in the top five alongside notoriously direct sides like Newcastle, Stoke and West Ham – something which has no doubt increased since the return of striker Olivier Giroud.

6) With being such an aesthetically pleasing side most of the time, Arsenal are considered to be a defensively flimsy side who can’t deal with physical teams.

When it comes to putting their bodies on the line, Arsenal rank joint bottom of the league, though given that they are joined by two top four sides in Chelsea and Southampton, this may well be a case that they don’t have as much defending to do as Hull City, who rank first in this category.

7) With so many skillful players in the Arsenal team, it’s no shock to see that the Gunners are ranked as the best team by far when it comes to successful dribbles.

The likes of Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez will have contributed massively to this, and the trickery in the Arsenal team is something that Wenger will be looking to continue in 2015.

8) That trickery around the box invariably leads to mistimed tackles around the box, and Arsenal subsequently rank second in the Premier League when it comes to penalties awarded.

Tied with West Brom, Arsenal are just one shy of Manchester City – and whilst Alexis Sanchez missed his spot-kick against QPR on Boxing Day, this will be an encouraging sign for Wenger.

9) A big mark of praise for Arsenal’s strikers is that they’ve barely been caught offside this season. Only Crystal Palace and Newcastle have been caught offside fewer times than the Gunners – something which makes their attack difficult to catch out.