Arsenal grinding out wins with fewer goals, flair: 'Extra belief' after title, concerning, or both?

Arsenal won the Premier League title and improved their team in a manner that had many — this writer included — tabbing them to win the league in more comfortable fashion than the last.

The Gunners, of course, are still in the discussion but have not been at their domestic best since just before the international break. A team that authored 19 goals off corner kicks last season have yet to find one this season, so you know something's wrong.

Jokes aside, the Gunners have bounced back from their unceremonious hammering at Brighton. Yet their attacking edge looked rather dull in a 2-1 win over Leeds and a 1-0 win Sunday at Nottingham Forest.

Sunday's hero Noni Madueke said the team is just different when they're not at their best this season, signaling superiority and bidding to fill anyone's half-empty cup.

"At times maybe last year this game might've gone different in the end but we have that extra belief," Madueke said. "We know we are the champions and we can pull that out of the bag when we need it."

That's not a bad thing at all. Yet something in the sauce isn't looking right on the stove despite the Gunners feasting to the tune of 18 points from 21.

Arteta's men would've been forgiven if defending was at the heart of these mild and relative struggles given William Saliba's still yet to make a season debut, but it's the attack that is troublesome at the moment.

Are we just judging Arsenal through a new lens, or is something not yet right with the Gunners? Maybe both.

Arsenal's season so far: What's different?

The Gunners are 6-0-1, claiming all but three points while scoring 11 times and conceding just six. xG says they've been a bit unlucky in attack and perhaps a bit fortunate at the back, while conceding too many shots in open play.

It's a small sample size but Arsenal's numbers are down through seven games (six in some metrics due to the Week 7 game just ending). Arsenal have played the 3rd, 4th, 7th, 12th, 16th, 18th, and 19th place teams on the table so far, not a murderers row.

Let's start with goals and expected goals.

First 7 matches of 2026-27 vs last season

xG/game: 1.82 (down from 2.04) xGA/game: 1.05 (up from 0.87) G/game: 1.57 (down from 1.87) GA/game : 0.85 (up from 0.71)

These difference are enough to be notable but don't have to be represent actual alarm. It could be as simple as some personnel changes and how new pieces fill their roles. Christos Tzolis has looked good but missed a couple of games as the Gunners are replacing non-stars who knew their roles in Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli. Myles Lewis-Skelly has largely been replacing Martin Zubimendi and is younger, so Arteta is taking mild hits for longer-term rewards, while Saliba's absence is a big deal.

As for some other stats, we cannot yet adjust for the Forest game but...

First six matches of 2026-27 vs last season

Open play shots/game: 9.83 (down from 10.39) Open play shots against/game: 6.67 (up from 6.31) Corner kicks: 2.16 (down from 2.89)

This is another argument for luck and sample size, as the Gunners are also yet to score from a corner kick after scoring every other game from one last season (19 total goals).

Arsenal are getting backed down more often this season, and the above numbers don't yet account for Forest's stodgy, stubborn play behind the ball on Sunday.

Arsenal's 12-day stretch to speak volumes

The above numbers could echo as blips, ghost notes, or alarm bells once Arsenal's next four games are in the book.

They head to Bayern Munich on Wednesday for a massive Champions League encounter, then welcome top-four hopefuls Arsenal to the Emirates in the Premier League on Saturday.

A trip to Fleetwood Town in the League Cup on October 27 will serve as an appetizer for a trip to Liverpool at Anfield in the league on November 1.

The Gunners will face four very different challenges. Bayern will test their defense as well as anyone they've met outside of Chelsea, who were in the very early days of Xabi Alonso's management when they met in North London.

Everton have been feisty with and without the ball. Fleetwood will almost absolutely park their bus, and Liverpool's Liverpool.

The Gunners have taken 18-of-21 points, better than last season's 5-1-1 start. But that championship start also included trips to Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Newcastle. There's no question we've yet to see the best of Arsenal or even the 7.5 out of 10 version of Arsenal. The fact that they've only dropped points once may well be a sign of championship mettle and real valor. It might include a good helping of good fortune, too. As Arteta often says after questions about his team, "So let's see."