Arsenal moved six points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Hull City, but Mikel Arteta admitted his side are still wrestling with a familiar problem: breaking down defensively-minded opponents.
Martin Odegaard scored the only goal of the game at the Emirates Stadium in the 72nd minute, despite Arsenal dominating possession and registering 21 shots. Manchester City's defeat at Nottingham Forest on the same day extended the Gunners' lead at the summit.
Arteta calls for more efficiency in front of goal
Arteta was frustrated that his team scored just once despite their dominance, accusing them of trying to score the 'perfect goal' against low blocks. The observation echoes a long-standing criticism of Arsenal, famously lampooned in a 2008 episode of The IT Crowd, in which characters Moss and Roy learn the phrase: 'The thing about Arsenal is they're always trying to walk it in.'
'[We need to] be more efficient,' the Arsenal manager said. 'We are one against one against the keeper. That's happened twice today. There is a penalty there, there is another situation inside the box where the ball is bouncing.'
'So many shots that have been deflected, blocked. We need to find ways to be more efficient, sometimes even more pragmatic.'
Defence provides the foundation
While the attack struggled to convert chances, Arsenal's defence continued to impress. Another clean sheet means they have conceded just five goals in 10 league games and have kept clean sheets in 10 of their 17 matches across all competitions.
Centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes said: 'If we don't concede goals, we have a big chance to win games. We are really happy to have another clean sheet.'
'Like I said, when we have a strong team, a strong defence, we don't concede goals. I think this season, how many is that? Ten clean sheets in the whole competition? This is our standard. We need to keep winning.'
Odegaard is Arsenal's top scorer this season with five goals in all competitions and three in the Premier League.
